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> Complaining about this seems a bit strange,

For the record, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that it's unfair to blame the incompatibility solely on the GPL (as OP seemed to be), when the developer is the one who chooses the license for their software. (And I presume the OpenSSL authors are experienced enough to be familiar with the compatibility differences between the 3-clause vs. 4-clause BSD license).

> OpenSSL's license, although kooky, is freer than the GPL in terms of who can use the stuff covered by it.

No, both are equally free. Both of them respect the four freedoms, so they are both free licenses.

(The 4-clause BSD is arguably more permissive, but on the other hand, the GPL permits one to advertise the software without any restrictions, so it really depends on which of those two one values more. Generally the copyleft clause is what people care about more than advertising, but it's important to note both).



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