DMD Backend Long-term

BCS none at anon.com
Wed Jun 23 07:02:27 PDT 2010


Hello bearophile,

> Leandro Lucarella:
> 
>> Yes, I don't think "copying with 'cosmetic changes'" works, legally
>> speaking. Otherwise everybody would be doing it.
>> 
> If 10% of changes is not legally enough, they LLVM dev can copy it and
> then change the 15% of it or even 20%. There must exist a minimum
> amount of differences between two blocks of code that allows them to
> be legally considered different, otherwise GNU is worse than a
> software patent.
> 

The fact that you started with GNU code it the important thing: the original 
file is under GNU, so the file after the very first edit (one key stroke) 
is also under GNU and because it is, so is the file after the second edit, 
etc. etc.

If you started with a blank file and ended up with something that (after 
ignoring formatting) was 50% similar to some GNU code, you might be able 
to get away with it as long as you've never looked at the other code, but 
I wouldn't bet on it.

-- 
... <IXOYE><





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