[Linux-aus] Meaning of object code/binary format/executable format in GPL/BSD style licenses

[Andrew Cowie]

On Wed, 2006-09-20 at 13:42 +1000, Benno wrote:
> In particular, if I have some algorithm that converts a source file
> into a binary representation of, for example, a control-flow graph,
> can I distribute that binary representation, and if I do what license
> obligations would I have?

A critical consideration in my mind would be where copyright is held.

Take a music player, for instance: running a copyrighted + all rights
reserved song through a GPL licenced music player does not make the
resultant audio stream "under the GPL" - the work (music) is still owned
by the creator who can licence it as they see fit.

Now, admittedly, that doesn't map terribly well to your problem as my
music example regards transforming from one binary format to another.
But I suspect the core issue remains: if you own the copyright on your
source information (in this case the data for your control-flow graph)
then you can do whatever you want with any particular representation of
it [that you create].

As ever, the activation of the more interesting parts of the GPL happens
at linking and [re]distribution. If the source data results in some
binary object that is then necessary for the loading and running of a
GPL licenced program (as opposed to that program operating on data),
then I would certainly argue that said source data is source code. [I
seems to be one of the things GPLv3 is trying to be clearer about,
though I think they've lost the plot elsewhere]

Oh, BSD? Do whatever you want :)

AfC
Sydney

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie
Managing Director
Operational Dynamics Consulting Pty Ltd

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