Re: gEDA-user: licensing (GPL or otherwise) for hardware?

[DJ Delorie <dj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Just to clarify: if I use GPLed or BSD-licensed tools to develop
> hardware, as well as using GPLed symbols/footprints, am I obligated
> to open-source the hardware design (the schematic, the PCB layout)?
>
> Common sense says no, but the degrees of freedom (hah hah) in open-
> source licenses vary greatly, and if I cannot keep my designs
> proprietary, then I can't use the tools.

In general, the *use* of a *tool* to produce something, doesn't assert
license over that something.  The exception is when the tool inserts -
verbatim - some copyrighted content into the output.  Thus, the
concern over "use license" of geda's libraries, which would cover this
insertion.

If you create your own symbol/footprint libraries, there's nothing
gEDA's license can do to stop you from producing proprietary boards
with it.


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