Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU!david
From: david@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU (David J. Camp)
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Re: How Does gnu propigate
Message-ID: <9001230016.AA15845@wubios.WUstl.EDU>
Date: 22 Jan 90 23:16:49 GMT
References: <9001221230.AA05068@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us>
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>
>In article <9001221321.AA02849@wubios.WUstl.EDU> you write:
>>Does the GNU copyright automatically apply to programs compiled by gcc?
>
>An interesting question.  In general, no, passing code through the
>compiler doesn't make it subject to copyleft.  If you include any Gnu
>library code, possibly even the tiny helper library that GCC uses, then
>the copyleft for the library appears to spread to the program that uses it.
>
>A clear statement of the FSF's postion would be useful, but I haven't seen
>one.
>
>Regards,
>John Levine, johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|lotus}!esegue!johnl
>

In that case, what happens when you inadvertantly compile someone else's
sources (perhaps a Public Domain or freely licensed program) with gcc,
and it happens to use alloca or some other supported function?  Surely
you cannot by your action impose a copyright on software which was not
yours to begin with.

This question has serious ramifications.  If I were to apply the GNU
copyright to the compiler for a new language that I were to invent,
would then every program ever written in that language bear the GNU
copyright?  -David-

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