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To: python-list@python.org
From: Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject: Re: a python license problem?
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:46:13 -0400
References: <2f6ddde4-cff2-4005-bda5-b251e9822aff@googlegroups.com> <87vcfkpmvp.fsf@benfinney.id.au>
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On 9/11/2012 12:03 PM, Ben Finney wrote:
> Jayden <jayden.shui@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Python is under GPL compatible. If I develop a python code
>
> If you write new code, without deriving your work from the code of
> Python itself, then the license of the Python code cannot affect what
> you many do with what you wrote =E2=80=93 because the copyright on Pyth=
on does
> not affect works not derived from it.
>
> Despite the wishes of copyright maximalists (and the PSF are not
> copyright maximalists, to my knowledge), there are still limits to the
> scope of copyright.

If by 'copyright maximalists' you mean the authors of translation=20
programs that claim copyright to translations, then they are really=20
'copyright grabbers' in that they are denying copyright to original=20
authors of the codes translated.

The usual basis for the grab is that the translated code must run with a =

runtime component from the translator. The runtime may or may not be=20
physically bundled with the translated code, just as Python code can run =

with either a separately installed python or a bundled python, as in=20
freeze or py2exe. The PSF explicitly says that distribution of such=20
bundles is allowed for CPython as long as one summarized what one is=20
doing. (See terms 2 and 3.)

>> If python is under GPL, is the answer different? Thanks a lot!!
>
> Python is not under GPL. But unless you are deriving a work from Python=

> and distributing the result, that doesn't alter the answer.

To be really clear, the 'Python license' is the license for the Python=20
x.y.z software and documentation distributed by the Python Software=20
Foundation. Other implementations have their own copyright and licenses. =

Code is copyrighted and licensed by the author or assignee.

--=20
Terry Jan Reedy