LGPL icons

[Tom Chance]

Hi Dave,

On Friday 04 Jun 2004 17:32, David Vignoni wrote:
> Hello. I've a question about usage of icons released under LGPL.
> I'm author of Nuvola Icon Theme, and I've released it under LGPL 2.1 cause
> it is needed for a future inclusion into KDE CVS.
[...]
> Now, I recive many emails everyday from person asking to use icons taken
> from Nuvola theme for :
>
> 	1. personal site
> 	2. commercial site
> 	3. shareware application
> 	4. l/gpled application (and this is the only case I'm sure they can)
> 	5. web communities
>
> What the LGPL license imply in these cases?

Under the LGPL, people are free to copy, modify and redistribute modified 
versions of your icons without restriction. If they distribute your icons (in 
any of those case) they must distribute them under the LGPL, preserving your 
original copyright notice. But they needn't distribute anything that uses 
them under the LGPL (so, for example, they can release their shareware 
application under a very nasty restrictivel license if they like, *so long 
as* the icons are distributed under the LGPL as part of the download).

The note you've copied from the Crystal set seems to add, or point out, that 
the license can only be displayed as a text file included in the download, 
whereas normally in software or in a library it might be included in the user 
interface, or in the installation screens, or in some other obvious location. 
Personally, I don't see why that note is necessary, but then I'm not a 
lawyer :-)

Regards,
Tom