Basile STARYNKEVITCH wrote:
>
> However, I disagree with the argument that a GPL-ed library should be linked
> dynamically. Licence terms are legal stuff, linking mode is technical stuff.
The law does not allow you to reinterpret a license in a way that is
technically convenient for you. The license's correct interpretation is
independent of your wishes. If it's inconvenient for you to obey the
license, you simply have no legal ability to use the software: standard
copyright applies, you don't own the copyright on this software, and so
you have no right to copy the software.
> I only want to use mysqlpp in small CGI programs I am writing (opensource
> GPL licence). I am pretty sure I am not alone. But such CGI programs are
> deployed (ie used) on small cheap web sites, whose web hosting company
> usually does not provide any additional shared libraries than the barely
> essentials (like libmysqlclient, libc, libdl, libm and their dependencies).
> Some hosting companies don't even put a libstdc++.so - you need to link it
> statically!
A lawyer might argue that this usage wouldn't fall under the
distribution terms of the GPL (v2, at least) since only company
employees should have access to the server. Another lawyer might then
argue that this still amounts to distribution, since the binary has been
copied to a server not belonging to the company.
The only way to resolve that argument is to have a lawsuit; we can't
resolve it here on the list. If that does not appeal, I suggest that
you either 1) find a better web host; or 2) host your site on
company-owned servers.
Again: just because it's inconvenient does not make it wrong. If you do
not choose to take the technical steps required to comply with the GPL
and LGPL, you have no license to use the software. It's that simple.
