GSoC '09 idea

[Mark Doliner]

2009/3/29 Sara Melnick <smelnic2 at u.rochester.edu>:
> I have an idea that I think would make  great GSoC project, but I've run
> into a problem due to licensing and I am interested in suggestions of either
> solutions or similar, alternative projects.  I would like to create a Cocoa
> Touch port of libpurple that runs without jailbreaking the hardware.
>  Currently, there exists an iPhone/iPod Touch port but it requires the
> hardware to be cracked (I'm not sure what it's written in because I can't
> find the source code on the site).  The problem, as I see it, is that the
> iPhone SDK Terms of Use essentially dictates that GPL software cannot be
> ported to Cocoa Touch.
> Apple: "If Your Application includes any FOSS, You agree to comply with all
> applicable FOSS licensing terms. You also agree not to use any FOSS in the
> development of Your Application in such a way that would cause the non-FOSS
> portions of the SDK to be subject to any FOSS licensing terms or
> obligations."
> GPL: [Complete source code must be available] "For an executable work,
> complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains,
> plus any associated interface definition files..."
> Please let me know if you have any ideas.
> Sara Melnick
> University of Rochester: Computer Science '11

I would guess that GPL applications are allowed to use the iPhone SDK
when running on the phone because it would be considered a part of the
operating system, and I believe the GPL allows using libraries that
are considered a part of the OS.  But someone should probably look at
the two licenses very closely and more some thought into it.

-Mark