[jira] [Commented] (LEGAL-523) GCC Runtime Library Exception

["Roy T. Fielding (Jira)" <ji...@apache.org>]

    [ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-523?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=17177212#comment-17177212 ] 

Roy T. Fielding commented on LEGAL-523:
---------------------------------------

This issue is a mess.

License exceptions are like having two different licenses, one base license with a known category that we don't like (X or B) and another license within category A (usually, "of your own choosing", which we choose to be Apache License 2.0). They are not a separate category of their own, and they do not fit in one category or another. That's why exceptions exist!

In order to interpret what that means, READ THE CONDITIONS TO SATISFY FOR THE EXCEPTION! It doesn't matter what the headers say or what might be found within the artifacts received, what matters is the license that the copyright owner has given to you! If you satisfy the conditions, the content can be distributed as per the EXCEPTION (not the base license).

You don't need the Legal Affairs committee to read the conditions for you. That is not our job. A PMC should be fully capable of reading and understanding a simple list of conditions that applies to the specific work that the PMC intends to distribute. If it meets the conditions, you already have permission to redistribute under our own license.

> GCC Runtime Library Exception
> -----------------------------
>
>                 Key: LEGAL-523
>                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-523
>             Project: Legal Discuss
>          Issue Type: Question
>            Reporter: Leonard Lausen
>            Priority: Major
>
> In https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-516, [~rvs] mentioned
> > it contains lib/native/libgfortran.so.3 which is clearly under Category X license as well.
> assuming that `libgfortran.so.3` is subject to the GPL. 
> However, looking at the [source code of libgfortran|https://github.com/gcc-mirror/gcc/tree/master/libgfortran] we find that additional rights are granted
> > Under Section 7 of GPL version 3, you are granted additional
> > permissions described in the GCC Runtime Library Exception, version
> > 3.1, as published by the Free Software Foundation.
> The [GCC Runtime Library Exception, version 3.1|https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gcc-exception-3.1.en.html] states:
> > You have permission to propagate a work of Target Code formed by combining the
> > Runtime Library with Independent Modules, even if such propagation would otherwise
> > violate the terms of GPLv3, provided that all Target Code was generated by Eligible
> > Compilation Processes. You may then convey such a combination under terms of your
> > choice, consistent with the licensing of the Independent Modules.
> Please see the GNU website for definitions in the statement.
> Based on my understanding it is fine to redistribute libgfortran.so.3 as ASF as it can be distributed under terms of our choice (subject to compiling everything with GCC).
> My understanding assumes that "combining the Runtime Library with Independent Modules" does not refer to static linking but any combination (such as placing the two libraries into a jar file together).
> If you disagree, let's also discuss about static linking libgfortran.a. Static linking libgfortran.a would be rather complex, as one would first need to rebuild libgfortran.a with `--with-pic`, but in principle feasible.



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