On 17/07/06, Luca Bruno <gnug.torte@...112...> wrote:
Gianni <gianni@...1407...> scrisse:
Hi, my name is Gianni and I'm writing from Italy. I'd like to know if it's possible to develop Inkscape and personalize it: to put my logo and credits etc...I mean a personal license to deliver it with a sw that we already develop.
Hi Gianni, Inkscape is released under GPL (and portions in public domain), so if you want to make your own patch and changes under a different license you have to check that is compatible with the GPL, and you still have to comply with its rules for the original code. Please see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html#TOCGPL for more information. If you explain better your plain, we can try to answer more precisely to you.
Without disagreeing with that reply, surely the answer to the question as posed is "Yes".
You can: * Create derivative versions from the Inkscape codebase (your words: develop and personalise) * Distribute such works. * Create works by combining Inkscape (or your derivatives) with existing software (your word: deliver).
This is how Inkscape was formed from Sodipodi, and it is why the project is entitled to use libraries such as gtkmm and many others, which we did not write, and combine Inkscape with Potrace.
I would go so far as to say to that you are welcome to use our code for these purposes, and other things being equal, we would like to you to do so. There is no point in your re-inventing Inkscape if that is what you need. Inkscape would be much less useful to its developers and users if we could not do these things.
Provided you keep your versions private, that is all there is to be said, but if you need (or wish) to distribute your new works beyond the people that created them then there are some requirements:
1. Kindly note that your changes/patches must be licensed under the GPL, and made available (to people receiving the software) in a form that a programmer or developer would prefer (maybe we might want to incorporate some of them into Inkscape itself). This should not be a problem for you - if it is then you may want to re-think what you are doing.
2. Unless you meant 'mere aggregation' by 'deliver with' then you may only combine Inkscape (or its derivatives) with other GPL'd software.
3. You would need to be very careful about using a 'personal licence', and I would not recommend doing this. If you simply meant distribute personally, in the way that Ubuntu CDs are handed round, then there is no problem.
Very definitely you should check the GNU GPL at the URL you have been given; and I would repeat the invitation to shed more light on your plans and give us more information. Perhaps there are people here who woulf like to help you.
Ben