[Wine] Wine license

[Gert van den Berg]

> Can AJ please change the license of the wine-launcher (like mono does)?

The problem with changing the licensing (if people are willing to do
it) is that every contributor (which licenses their code under the
LGPL) needs to allow their code to be re-licensed. (Which is why some
projects (OpenOffice) require copyright assignments to the
organization maintaining the code) (Changing licenses to a compatible
license is not that hard (BSD->LGPL/GPL or LGPL > GPL (right version))
since the conditions old license is met by the new license)

So in order to change the license of a part of Wine, you need to get
written permission from everyone that contributed code to that part
under a license incompatible with you code and as them to allow the
use of the code under other terms. (Some developer might be willing to
do that, they might even be willing to sell you a license to their
code that allows for non-LGPL complaint distribution) The problem is
that one contributor not willing to allow it can result in you and the
lawyers that you probably want to hire to ensure that and licenses /
contracts is done properly have been wasting your time / money.