asterisk users - Dec 2004 - Asterisk Interface to propriotary system and GPL

If everything on the Aterisk side of the socket is GPL'd
I think you are OK.

Look at the example of a Linux system running Netscape
browing the web when there is a Microsoft HTTP server.
Then we have a GPL's system conected to a closed
comercial system over a socket (port 80).

The grey area is when you link GPL's code to non GPL
I think the case of a socket interface is pretty clear.




--- Shahed <shahed@enoor.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I am wondering if I will be breaking the GPL,
> if I write for example, a channel driver or
> make some modifications to the astrisk source code,
> to interface at RUN TIME, through sockets, with
> a proprietary system.
> 
> Eg.
> 
> 1. I write chan_xxx + modify asterisk source
>     (make changes + new code publicly  available)
> 
> 2. chan_xxx supports hardware by XXX Corp.
> 
> 3, XXX Corps interface  is proprietary.
> 
> 4. I write a layer over XXX Corps API, that uses sockets,
>     with the ONLY intent to BYPASS the GPL restrictions
>     (If what I think about them are correct)
> 
> 5. Asterisk now interfaces at runtime with XXX,
>     but no library linking.
> 
> 6. I sell the system, make all modifications available
>      under GPL, but don't purchase any sort of license
>      from Digium.
> 
> I looked at http://www.netrino.com/Articles/LinuxLaw/
> and some ML posts, and it seems that perhaps I may be
> somewhat correct ?
> 
> 
> Please don't ask we why I would want to do this,
> because this is a hypothetical situation.
> I just want to clarify this, for maybe, future use.
> 
> Thanks
> Shahed
> 
> 
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====Chris Albertson
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  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  Christopher.J.Albertson@aero.org
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Shahed wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I am wondering if I will be breaking the GPL,
> if I write for example, a channel driver or
> make some modifications to the astrisk source code,
> to interface at RUN TIME, through sockets, with
> a proprietary system.

First, a warning - I am NOT a lawyer. I don't play one on TV, either and 
you really need a lawyer to answer this question.

Having said that...

The real testing which matter is whether your socket layer + propritery 
stuff + Asterisk is considered "derived work" of Asterisk. This is the
the ONLY test that really matters.

In most circumstances known to me, if you communicate with the 
propritery engine via sockets, even if you wrote the layer for this 
yourself, you are not creating a dervied work anymore then using 
Asterisk to communicate via SIP to some propritery SIP server/gateway 
makes a propritery work from the SIP gateway and Asterisk, so you're OK 
legally.

Having said that, and reminding you again that you really need to ask a 
layer, you should consider two other issues:

1. Moral issue - being legal does no make it moral.
2. Perfomace issues.


And why really not make your propritery code wrapper talk some VoIP 
protocol and be done with it anyway?

Gilad

Hi All,

I am wondering if I will be breaking the GPL,
if I write for example, a channel driver or
make some modifications to the astrisk source code,
to interface at RUN TIME, through sockets, with
a proprietary system.

Eg.

1. I write chan_xxx + modify asterisk source
    (make changes + new code publicly  available)

2. chan_xxx supports hardware by XXX Corp.

3, XXX Corps interface  is proprietary.

4. I write a layer over XXX Corps API, that uses sockets,
    with the ONLY intent to BYPASS the GPL restrictions
    (If what I think about them are correct)

5. Asterisk now interfaces at runtime with XXX,
    but no library linking.

6. I sell the system, make all modifications available
     under GPL, but don't purchase any sort of license
     from Digium.

I looked at http://www.netrino.com/Articles/LinuxLaw/
and some ML posts, and it seems that perhaps I may be
somewhat correct ?


Please don't ask we why I would want to do this,
because this is a hypothetical situation.
I just want to clarify this, for maybe, future use.

Thanks
Shahed