Home Original page

Which Python web framework is most like Ruby on Rails?

Robert Kern robert.kern at gmail.com
Fri Dec 23 02:09:55 EST 2005 
Paul Rubin wrote:
> Jeff Rush <jeff at taupro.com> writes:
> 
>>Your only solution would be a proprietary license that states you
>>purchased this program and don't have the right to pass it on to
>>others, similar to ActiveState or somesuch.
> 
> It sounds like that's what Kent wants to do with the apps that he's
> building.  That's not permitted under the GPL, if the apps contain or
> are based on GPL code.  What's not totally clear is whether that
> affects Karrigell apps (apps that run under Karrigell and call
> Karrigell functions but don't modify Karrigell itself).  

I believe that it's the FSF's view that importing a GPLed module triggers the
GPL conditions in analogy with dynamic linking for C and other such languages
(presuming the code is being distributed at all). I think it's reasonably safe
to say that most authors who choose the GPL deliberately also assume the FSF's
interpretation. Debian, for example, also holds to this interpretation and will
reject a GPL-incompatible Python package that imports a GPLed Python package as
not legal to distribute.

No court has ever ruled on the issue, and some people, like Larry Rosen, think
it's likely that a judge would not choose the FSF's interpretation. I think
Rosen is probably correct. However, I always assume that the author intends the
FSF's interpretation unless they make an explicit exception, and I respect that
intention.

-- 
Robert Kern
robert.kern at gmail.com

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
 Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
  -- Richard Harter
More information about the Python-list mailing list