Quote:
Originally Posted by user_none
The GPL license does not extend to calibre produced ebook files.
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I agree, but it would take some research to point to the exact part of the GPL that applies and explain why the GPL doesn't apply to output.
The OP seems to be worried that the GPL is "viral" and will somehow infect an e-book so that it can be copied/used/distributed by everyone. If that was really a concern, with respect to conversions, you couldn't use Calibre for much of anything as most e-books are copyrighted by third parties.
As to his specific question "I would like to ask if the files that calibre outputs, specifically the mobi and prc files, contain any Calibre-specific GPL'd code in them." The answer has just the tiniest bit of gray. In some circumstances, html/xml/xhtml/css will be considered "code," particularly when integrated into other code. By necessity, calibre, puts in some formatting and/or html/xml/xhtml/css content into recipe-created e-books (in particular) and during other conversions.
Calibre's "code" is all subject to the GPL and in some very limited circumstances, the code added, for example by a recipe, might be considered to be subject to the GPL. I suspect the likelihood that this would fall within the scope of the GPL, and that it would cause the OP any trouble to be less than the likelihood of being struck by a meteorite in the next 5 seconds, but it's always interesting to explore the limits of the horrible hypothetical. IOW, he's got absolutely nothing to worry about, and he should ignore the FUD that is spread by others about the GPL.