Examining the GNU GPL Version 2, I fail to see where it says
that linking GPL'ed code with proprietary code is forbidden. Section
2, and in particular 2(b), specifically allows GPL'ed code to be
linked with proprietary code so long as the resultant modified program
is neither distributed nor published (assuming that the 2(a) and 2(c)
constraints, regarding change notices and interactive announcements,
are met).
The distinction between linking GPL'ed code with a proprietary
library (which is commonly done and widely accepted) and distributing
the resultant linked images is a critical one, both in (my layman's
understanding of) USA Copyright law and practice as it applies to the
area of computer programming, and in understanding the social context
that has led to widespread revulsion against KDE-based programs.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and this message is not an
offer of legal advice.
Craig Milo Rogers
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