[sane-devel] Please give me some help to solve the license issues in using sane

[m. allan noah]

On 6/6/08, Alessandro Zummo <azummo-lists at towertech.it> wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:10:52 -0400
>
> "m. allan noah" <kitno455 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> > yes- this seems reasonable, however, this 'program' cannot be derived
>  > from existing GPL'd software that does not already have this added
>  > permission, because that would change the original program's license
>  > without permission of the authors.
>
>
>  correct.
>
>
>  > so, is our answer to Mengqiang that there are only four choices?
>  >
>  > 1. you can write an entirely free backend, and use code from SANE.
>
>
>  yay! :)
>
>
>
>  > 2. you can write a partly free backend, that runs the closed parts as
>  > a separate process, and use code from SANE in the free part, provided
>  > that the interface to the closed parts is simple and well documented.
>
>
>  this is the hp way if i've got it corretly. I find it a bit ugly.
>
>
>
>  > 3. you can write a partly free backend, that dynamically links to the
>  > closed parts, provided that you place a license exception in the free
>  > part allowing said linking. you cannot use any code from SANE, other
>  > than sane.h and the sane specification, in either part.
>
>
>  this means that the sane I/O facilities cannot be used. however
>   it may be the cleanest thing.
>
>   that's similar to the epkowa way, which uses sane io facilities
>   iirc?

well, if epkowa dynamically links and uses sanei, then it is not using
#3- it might be violating the license? Olaf- can you describe the
mechanism?

allan
-- 
"The truth is an offense, but not a sin"