rms@AI.MIT.EDU (06/10/89)
I believe that your intent is to write good software, freely available to everybody (even if they work for Apple), with the assurance that your work never be hoarded by anyone (not even yourself). This is accurate. I haven't made a final decision on policies for linking with GNU libraries. Currently, the copyleft applies to any executable linked with them. That is the natural result of making the copyleft simple. The problem of writing the copyleft so that linking with GNU libraries is permitted, but linking proprietary enhancements with a GNU program is not, is a tricky one. Since I do not think software should be proprietary, I would not make a change in this for the sake of the development and marketing of proprietary software. I would only do so if it would clearly help GNU replace proprietary software. If I give permission for something, I cannot take it back. A change to permit linking of proprietary programs with GNU libraries would be irreversible, so I won't make it unless I am certain it is best. It is impossible to know now what is best. Until we have a complete system and can see who uses it and who does not, all people can do is speculate. I don't want to make an irreversible decision until I have some real observations to base it on.