[General] TriCitizen new Tox client on Android

gary at mohan.net gary at mohan.net
Tue Aug 3 03:12:15 UTC 2021


Could open sourcing it get me money?

On 2021-08-03 1:51 am, nurupo wrote:

>> https://opensource.stackexchange.com/questions/6771/am-i-allowed-to-use-a-gpl-3-library-in-a-closed-source-web-application
>> 
>> "As long as the user just _runs_ GPL-2 software, there should be no
>> problem. GPL-3 is different."
> Please don't link to random answers on stackexchange or similar 
> websites as some sort of authoritative answers. Anyone can write 
> anything they want on those kinds of websites and that doesn't make 
> whatever is written on there true.
> Instead, use the GPL-3.0 license text, accessible at 
> https://github.com/TokTok/c-toxcore/blob/master/LICENSE to see what is 
> allowed or not under the GPL. That's the single source of truth.
> Also, as mentioned earlier, the GPL FAQ by FSF is also a good 
> authoritative source at explaining the GPL: 
> https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html
> 
>> Am only running the binary of a GPL-2 derived work.
> Firstly, c-toxcore is not a binary executable, it's a library. 
> Secondly, you are not running it, instead you are linking it into your 
> application, making it a single application, and then running your 
> application, not just c-toxcore. Thirdly, I don't understand why you 
> mention GPL-2 as it doesn't apply here, it's GPL-3.0 that applies here. 
> c-toxcore is available only under GPL-3.0-or-later, and Trifa is 
> dual-licensed under GPL-2.0-only and GPL-3.0-only, but the only option 
> you have is to use Trifa under the GPL-3.0 when it gets combined with 
> c-toxcore, as GPL-2.0 and GPL-3.0 are incompatible licenses and can't 
> be combined into a single work (see 
> https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html#AllCompatibility).
> 
> ---
> Regards,
> nurupo
> 
> On 2021-08-02 16:58, gary at mohan.net wrote: 
> https://opensource.stackexchange.com/questions/6771/am-i-allowed-to-use-a-gpl-3-library-in-a-closed-source-web-application
> 
> "As long as the user just _runs_ GPL-2 software, there should be no
> problem. GPL-3 is different."
> 
> Am only running the binary of a GPL-2 derived work.
> 
> On 2021-08-02 9:38 pm, nurupo wrote:
> 
> Trifa includes c-toxcore and is licensed under GPL too. So you are
> also violating Trifa's GPL license too.
> Also, I'm not sure what you meant by saying that Trifa was available
> as a binary. It makes no difference if it was available as a binary
> or not, it's GPL, and if you if you include it in your app as a
> dependency, you must comply with the GPL license.
> 
> Everything I've read on this from real-world lawyers says
> copyright
> law trumps the GPL licence. I'm sorry, but what you are talking makes 
> no sense. Are you aware
> of what the copyright law is and what licenses are used for?
> 
> Under the copyright law, you are not allowed to use a work without
> permission from the copyright holder. Any such use constitutes
> copyright infringement and the copyright holder might file a legal
> suit against you.
> 
> If we ignore the GPL license of c-toxcore and Trifa for a moment and
> assume they have no license, just the copyright, then you are not
> allowed to use them until after you get permissions from *all*
> copyright holders of c-toxcore and Trifa to be able to use them in
> your app. (Actually, I think Trifa depends on some other GPL
> software, at least x264 but maybe more, so you would need to seek
> their permission too).
> Did you get any permission from c-toxcore copyright holders to use
> c-toxcore in the TriCitizen app? As one of c-toxcore copyright
> holders, I can say that you did not, because I wasn't contacted
> regarding this, and without my permission you aren't allowed.
> 
> A license is the copyright holders telling that everyone can use
> their copyrighted work as long as they comply with the terms of the
> license.
> 
> The only terms you can use c-toxcore under are GPL. If you are not
> using c-toxcore under the GPL license, then by the copyright law you
> are not allowed to use c-toxcore at all, as a copyright holder (all
> c-toxcore contributors, including me) haven't explicitly allowed you
> to. Since you aren't allowed to use c-toxcore, by extension, you
> aren't allowed to use Trifa, since it includes c-toxcore.
> 
> Please resolve your GPL violation promptly.
> 
> ---
> Regards,
> nurupo
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