[IGDA_indies] the LGPL

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Tom Spilman wrote:
>
>  And still what is the worst case scenario if you
> accidentally violate the
> LGPL?  Unless you're a big fish I doubt it will be much more
> than a pointed
> email demanding you change something in your readme or
> release some object files.

'Some' object files?  How about the object files of your entire game, if
the library is pervasively needed?  Or if your project management really
didn't have time to deal with hermetic separations on the basis of
licenses.

> IMO the legalese scares people into thinking it's
> more complex than it really is.

And what if your platform doesn't have shared libraries, and you must
link statically?  I've got the impression that this is how consoles
actually are?  If so, that makes LGPL totally unacceptable.  I'm not
willing to tie my hands and say I'll never port my PC game to a console.
I don't believe this stuff about how if you just ask nicely, they'll let
you.  I'd be porting to the console *after* I'm a big fat moneymaking
commercial success on the PC.  I can definitely see a "hey, cut us in
for a big slice of your pie" scenario.


Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

"The pioneer is the one with the arrows in his back."
                          - anonymous entrepreneur