Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!ctrsol!ginosko!sacco
From: sacco@eileen.mga.com (Joseph E. Sacco)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: libg++ and copylefts
Keywords: FSF, software hoarding, free exchange of ideas
Message-ID: <53@eileen.mga.com>
Date: 20 Jul 89 21:44:40 GMT
Organization: Mitchell and Gauthier Associates
Lines: 40


	The bandwidth in this newsgroup over copyleft issues has expanded
greatly over issues of libg++ and copyleft. I will attempt to put this issue to
rest. 

        Peter DeVries asked "What in blazes is CopyLeft????????????"

Peter,

         Copyleft is the Free Software Foundation's "copyright" [get it?
FSF humor]. In essense the purpose of copyleft and the "charter" of FSF is to
prevent software "hoarding" and facilitate the free exchange of ideas. If you 
incorporate a chuck of "copyleft" code into an application, that application
becomes copylefted. That means you have to make the source code for that
application available. It's an academic sort of idea which is perfectly suited
for academic purposes. If you are a commerical software developer, what this
means is you cannot steal FSF code.

	The recent flurry of net interest in this issue arose from AT&T's 
tenfold price increase of C++. Small commerical operations that were stung by 
this policy change are looking at FSF's g++ as a viable alternative. The "problem" is that g++ comes with Doug Lea's libg++ library which is under copyleft. That means that you can use g++ [or gcc] to compile your source but you cannot use
Doug's library without invoking copyleft. This "problem" with libg++ is not
really a problem since there is very little in Doug's library that you really
need to use g++. You may have to create your own stream package but Bjarne 
has already shown you how to do that in his book.

	The issue here is simple: Doug Lea placed his library with FSF so
people can study and learn from it. It is not placed there for commerical
vendors to steal. I respect his wishes. I am too far away from Oswego to take
a course from him and yet I benefit from his work by studying his code. If
there is something in his library that I would really like to use in a
commerical product I will write my own version. If I am incapable of writing
my own version I should not be in this business.

        So, study it, learn from it but don't steal it. I think folks can
live with that. I certainly can.



							Joseph