[jcifs] Re: Fw: SQL Server 6.5 and named pipes

[Eric Glass]

> The bottom line is that if it becomes established that simply using the
> public API of an LGPL library requires the caller to be LGPL as well then
> we will change the jCIFS license to MLGPL (Mikes Library General Public
> License).

    :)

> That doesn't matter. jTDS or anyone else that uses the public API of jCIFS
> does not have to be LGPL. If I hear about this again I will post a
> statement on the website that reiterates our non-viral interpretation of
> the LGPL so that it's clear to users of our library. And if any
> contributor with a copyright statement in our source disagrees with that
> interpretation their code will be removed.
> 

The GNU Crypto folks address similar questions; they use a GPL
derivative which expressly allows any sort of linking without
implication on the caller:

http://www.gnu.org/software/gnu-crypto/

But I agree; the intent of the LGPL is fairly obvious, and any
ambiguities are easily addressed without resorting to "hands-off
panic" a la Apache.


Eric