[antlr-interest] ANTLR v3 compatible with GPL?

[Scott Amort]

Hi Michael,

On Tue, 2006-08-15 at 16:37 +0100, Micheal J wrote:
> GPL'ed applications can have binary dependencies. Ergo, many GPL'ed apps run
> on (i.e. have a dependency on) Windows, OSX and/or Java for instance. That
> being the case, the dependency of a GPL'ed application on the ANTLR v3
> runtime library is a non-issue as one can always distribute the runtime
> library binaries with the GPL'ed application.

I don't believe this is true.  Here is a quote:

"It has always been the FSF's position that dynamically linking
applications to libraries creates a single work derived from both the
library code and the application code. The GPL requires that all
derivative works be licensed under the GPL, an effect which can be
described as 'hereditary.'"

Dependencies on Windows, Java, gcc, etc. fall under the following GPL
exception:

"However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not
include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or
binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of
the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
itself accompanies the executable."

So, if you are linking to an external library, it must be either GPL or
GPL-compatible.  ANTLR v3's license is the 'new' BSD license, however,
and as such, is compatible with the GPL.

Best,
Scott