[IGDA_indies] the LGPL

[Tom Spilman]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: indies-bounces at igda.org 
> [mailto:indies-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Brandon J. Van Every
> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 5:02 AM
> To: Indie SIG mailing list
> Subject: RE: [IGDA_indies] the LGPL

> '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.

 Yea it would need to be everything *if* that was a requirement.  Worst case
you've given out source file, function, and global variable names... that is
if you don't run the code thru an obfuscator first.

 Still my point was unless you're a high profile developer it's highly
unlikely you'll be singled out for prosecution.  In fact I bet there are GPL
and LGPL violations all the time which go undetected... some of them
*intentional*.

> And what if your platform doesn't have shared libraries, and 
> you must link statically?

 There are no ambiguities in this case... static linkage requires releasing
your code or object files.

> I'm not willing to tie my hands and say I'll 
> never port my PC game to a console.

 So leverage it now for the PC and replace it when you're a "big fat
moneymaking commercial success".  Nothing keeps you from replacing the
LGPL'ed libraries you use with a commercial library or your own code.

  Tom Spilman
  Co-owner | Programmer
  www.sickheadgames.com