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[OT} How to un-GPL parts of a GPL'd module.

Alexander Schmolck a.schmolck at gmx.net
Tue Oct 8 09:08:25 EDT 2002 
anton at vredegoor.doge.nl (Anton Vredegoor) writes:

> how can I use a class or a function from a GLP'd module (cut-and-paste
> style) in a module with BSD or public domain style release?

Not at all.

> 
> I guess I could e-mail the author for permission but if I would have
> to wait for them to answer, it would slow my coding process down to a
> snail's pace, and there's always the possibility of the author being
> unwilling. 

Well, that's life.

> Having seen the algorithm it's almost impossible for me to forget it and
> write code as if I had never seen it.

As long as your implementation of the algorithm is sufficiently different from
the original author's I think you should be fine. Determining what qualifies
as sufficiently different is likely to be not that trivial for someone who
isn't a copyright expert, however (just changing variable names or even
translating the code directly into another programming language is *not*
enough).

> On the other hand, is it enough to just cut and paste, change
> maybe a few variable names, credit the author for the original concept
> in the sourcode, send some email to inform the author and go on with
> life?

No it isn't.

I think your best bet in this case is to ask for permission (involves little
effort and if it fails, you can still recode).

Bear in mind that I'm not a copyright lawyer, so I might be wrong.

alex
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