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0 pointspcthrowaway2y ago0 comments

Based on you making your frontend libraries AGPL, I believe any frontend using them would have to be generally compatible with the GPL family (so would also have to be *GPL licensed)

Is my understanding incorrect?

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3 comments · 1 top-level

resoluteteeth2y ago· 2 in thread

Yeah this seems like a major issue. I think the AGPL is strictly stronger than the GPL so if it was possible to use a GPL or AGPL library from non-GPL code then surely there would be no reason for the LGPL license to exist?

pcthrowawayOP2y ago

Yeah, unfortunately I think it's debatable whether LGPL is even OK for a closed-source project to use, since IIRC LGPL specifically talks about linking compiled binaries.

I guess there's the argument that transpiled, minified javascript program is a compiled binary? I'd love to know whether these things have been tested in various courts.

leni5362y ago

> LGPL specifically talks about linking compiled binaries.

That's the context where LGPL is used most often, but the license itself is more general than that. In particular 4/d/0 in [1].

AFAIK, LGPL is about replaceability. If you distribute a compiled program (yes, a minified JS program should qualify) then you need to distribute the source of the LGPL part and document a way how the user can replace that LGPL part in your program with their own modified copy.

[1] https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-3.0.en.html

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