Rainer M Krug <Rainer@krugs.de> writes:

> These packages all depend on R itself.
>
> So isn't this the same as in emacs / elisp? Isn't an exporter / .el file
> the same as a package in R, something which enhances the original
> product using a provided interface (the functions) but does not change
> anything in the original program (R or emacs)?

It's both the same and different.

The legal question of whether R packages are derivative works of R is
similar to the question of elisp packages that use editing primitives
are derivative works of emacs.

The social question is totally separate.  It's obvious OK in the R world
to have packages under other licenses.  In the emacs world, it's far
From obvious.