Wireshark · Ethereal-dev: Re: [Ethereal-dev] Dissecting a proprietary protocol - a GPL licensing issue

[LEGO <luis.ontanon@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

> I want to give my clients, in addition to the protocol
> code a plugin to Ethereal to dissect the protocol.
> Can I do that?
As far as it is distributed under GPL you can!

> Does the plug-in / dissector / protocol definition has
> to be GPLed?
It's derived material, so it must.

> If the answer to the above is "yes", can I get around
> this by placing the real dissection in a separate
> processs and IPC with it via a shell plugin which I
> will GPL?
At first look I would say No, It wouldn't be usable without the
proprietary part.
But I might be wrong.

Take a look to http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html There you
might find your answer.

> 
> P.S.
>     I don't think it matters much, but perhaps I
> should mention my client will use the plugin only for
> internal development purposes and not distribute it
> further.
You can release it, ONLY to your client under GPL. You do not have to
put it in the public domain. The point is, that since it's GPLed,  if
they decide to redistribute it to whomever they want they are free to
do so.