general public virus

General Public Virus
 n.

   Pejorative name for some versions of the {GNU} project {copyleft} or
   General Public License (GPL), which requires that any tools or {app}s
   incorporating copylefted code must be source-distributed on the same
   anti-proprietary terms as GNU stuff. Thus it is alleged that the
   copyleft `infects' software generated with GNU tools, which may in
   turn infect other software that reuses any of its code. The Free
   Software Foundation's official position is that copyright law limits
   the scope of the GPL to "programs textually incorporating significant
   amounts of GNU code", and that the `infection' is not passed on to
   third parties unless actual GNU source is transmitted. Nevertheless,
   widespread suspicion that the {copyleft} language is `boobytrapped'
   has caused many developers to avoid using GNU tools and the GPL.
   Changes in the language of the version 2.0 GPL did not eliminate this
   problem.
    

General Public Virus
GPV

   <software, legal> A pejorative name for some versions of the
   {GNU} project {copyleft} or {General Public License} (GPL),
   which requires that any tools or {application programs}
   incorporating copylefted code must be source-distributed on
   the same terms as GNU code.  Thus it is alleged that the
   copyleft "infects" software generated with GNU tools, which
   may in turn infect other software that reuses any of its code.

   {Copyright} law limits the scope of the GPL to "programs
   textually incorporating significant amounts of GNU code" so
   GPL is only passed on if actual GNU source is transmitted.
   This used to be the case with the {Bison} {parser} skeleton
   until its licence was fixed.

   (http://org.gnu.de/manual/bison/html_chapter/bison_2.html#SEC2).

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1999-07-14)