Can I use/include gsdll32.dll redmonnt.dll (no modifications) in a commercial application for my client?

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Can I use/include gsdll32.dll redmonnt.dll (no modifications) in a commercial application for my client?

I am not a license expert; however, after a lot of research, I am still struggling to answer the following questions and would like to know if my assumptions are right!

Is it legal to include gsdll32.dll and redmonnt.dll in a commercial product?
Should I release any source code of the commercial app where I am using this library?
Is there a commercial license (a small fee that my client can pay to use these libraries) to GhostScript?
What are the alternative solutions?

+1 A:

See the Ghostscript Home Page - FAQs where it says:

What is the difference between AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript?

AFPL Ghostscript is distributed with a license called the Aladdin Ghostscript Free Public License that allows free use, copying, and distribution by end users, but does not allow commercial distribution. AFPL Ghostscript was previously known as Aladdin Ghostscript.

GPL Ghostscript is distributed with the GNU General Public License, which allows free use, and free copying and redistribution under certain conditions (including, in some cases, commercial distribution). GPL Ghostscript versions are usually released shortly after the next AFPL Ghostscript version.

IANAL

But that strongly indicates to me that you cannot ship the DLLs in a commercial product.

Jonathan Leffler 2010-06-01 14:59:27

# Should I release any source code of the commercial app where I am using this library?

Sheriff Md 2010-06-02 20:32:22

# Is there a commercial license (a small fee that my client can pay to use these libraries) to GhostScript?

Sheriff Md 2010-06-02 20:32:46

# What are the alternative solutions?

Sheriff Md 2010-06-02 20:33:21

Contact the suppliers of Ghostscript to discuss what your options are. If you can't meet the terms of the GPL or AGPL versions, then you have to ask the suppliers whether there are alternative arrangements that can be reached. In principle, they are able to licence it to you under other terms if they so choose; whether they are willing is a separate issue.

Jonathan Leffler 2010-06-02 20:54:52

@Jonathan Leffler: Your answer would have been valid a few years ago. Nowadays it no longer is. First, the link to the "Ghostscript Home Page" is a link to a mirror, not the real home page (which would be http://www.ghostscript.com/). See also my answer dating 2010-June-05 for more details.

pipitas 2010-07-11 11:21:48

@pipitas - thanks for the update. I'm not sure that the licencing conclusion is changed; you can't ship GPL DLLs with a commercial product (without getting special permission from somewhere).

Jonathan Leffler 2010-07-11 15:29:15

@Jonathan Leffler: I agree, that for 'scriptmas' the overall licensing situation may not have changed, in case he wants to link against the `gsdll32.dll` from a close source application (not allowed). But (contrary to your claim) you **CAN** of course ship compiled Ghostscript binaries (including the gsdll32.dll) with a commercial application, as long as you also provide the GS sources. [And then, the commercial application could call `gswin32c.exe` as an external utility... But IANAL either!] Of course you can't just incorporate the gsdll32.dll source code into your proprietary sources.

pipitas 2010-08-09 12:39:45

@pipitas: Agreed - if the executable was separate and happened to include the DLL, then there would be no problem. The question is not couched in such terms. The main conclusion must be: **consult a lawyer**. The secondary conclusion is 'do not try it until you have consulted a lawyer'.

Jonathan Leffler 2010-08-09 13:07:05

+1 A:

It is no longer true that "GPL versions are released shortly after the next AFPL Ghostscript version". All their source code is now in one place, and it is all GPL. Dual versioning of AFPL and GPL Ghostscript was used for versions prior to 8.54 only. AFPL is dead as a separate software version (as far as "AFPL Ghostscript is more up to date than GPL Ghostscript").

And their source repository now also includes GhostPDL, a module rendering/interpreting PCL, XPL and SVG (similar to what Ghostscript is for PostScript). Find it at svn-dot-ghostscript-dot-com.

The page you linked to is a mirror of the previous Ghostscript home page which is no longer in sync.

The current GS home page is http://www.ghostscript.com/. For commercial (closed source) licenses of Ghostscript and for support contracts you have to contact Artifex (artifex-dot-com-slash-indexlicense.htm).

(Updated: changed ambiguous wording re. differences between AFPL/GPL Ghostscript.)

pipitas 2010-06-05 18:43:54

ansaurus

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Can I use/include gsdll32.dll redmonnt.dll (no modifications) in a commercial application for my client?

What is the difference between AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript?

IANAL

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