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in reply to Re^2: Am I Allowed to Make a New Compiler/Language using Perl?
in thread Am I Allowed to Make a New Compiler/Language using Perl?

Well, you don't find such clauses in open source licences

  • Comment on Re^3: Am I Allowed to Make a New Compiler/Language using Perl?

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Re^4: Am I Allowed to Make a New Compiler/Language using Perl?
by Corion (Patriarch) on Oct 25, 2011 at 13:09 UTC

    I think the GPL v3 comes close, or at least forces restrictions on the (distribution of) the output generated by a GPL v3 program. But I have solved this problem for me personally a long time before the GPL v3, so I haven't investigated whether that is really the case for things like a compiler. It seems to be the case for things like web application servers, where accessing the application over the web is basically identical to distribution of the application server binary.

      The GPL v3 text says
      The output from running a covered work is covered by this License only if the output, given its content, constitutes a covered work.

      and I have no idea what that means.

      There's an interesting FAQ entry, which contains the sentence

      If the user uses your program to enter or convert his own data, the copyright on the output belongs to him, not you

      Which seems to imply that if you write a compiler and license it under the GPLv3, the output still belongs to the user. Comforting.

        and I have no idea what that means.

        I think it means, increase the FAQ :)

        Consult the lawyers :)