Neon license conditions

[Simon Large <si...@skirridsystems.co.uk>]

Hi Stefan,

I have been looking through the license files of the various components
used in SVN and noticed these clauses in the COPYING.LIB file in Neon
(section 6):

<quote>
     For an executable, the required form of the "work that uses the
Library" must include any data and utility programs needed for
reproducing the executable from it.  However, as a special exception,
the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally
distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major
components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on
which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies
the executable.

     It may happen that this requirement contradicts the license
restrictions of other proprietary libraries that do not normally
accompany the operating system.  Such a contradiction means you cannot
use both them and the Library together in an executable that you
distribute.
</quote>

The Windows binary distribution of SVN uses Microsoft proprietary 
compilers and libraries which cannot be redistributed, and clients built 
against SVN libraries may well do the same (TSVN does, and it also 
relies on MFC which is not available for free). The MS compiler is not 
considered part of the OS as it would be with *nix, so it appears we are 
required to provide it from the same download site as the source, as 
part of the 'utility programs needed for reproducing the executable'. 
This would appear to preclude the use of the Neon library.

IANAL. Am I missing something obvious here? I am hoping you guys know 
more about Lib GPL than I do.

Simon

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Re: Neon license conditions

[Simon Large <si...@skirridsystems.co.uk>]

Branko Čibej wrote:
> Simon Large wrote:
> 
>> The MS compiler is not considered part of the OS as it would be with 
>> *nix, so it appears we are required to provide it from the same 
>> download site as the source, as part of the 'utility programs needed 
>> for reproducing the executable'.
> 
> Hm. MS does provide free versions of its compilers, but not the ones the 
> "official" SVN Win32 binary is built with...

Just to close this issue down, as I am sure you must be having many 
sleepless nights worrying about it ;-)

I clarified it with FSF and things like VS.NET and Delphi are (in GPL 
terms) considered to be a major component of the operating system, so 
they are exempt from the redistribution requirement.

Simon

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Re: Neon license conditions

[Branko Čibej <br...@xbc.nu>]

Simon Large wrote:

> The Windows binary distribution of SVN uses Microsoft proprietary 
> compilers and libraries which cannot be redistributed, and clients 
> built against SVN libraries may well do the same (TSVN does, and it 
> also relies on MFC which is not available for free).

Actually, all the MS libararies that (T)SVN links with are either 
"redistributable", which means that you may include them with your 
program, or are part of the OS. IIRC all the redistributable libraries 
can be downloaded directly from MS, albeit not in as sources.

> The MS compiler is not considered part of the OS as it would be with 
> *nix, so it appears we are required to provide it from the same 
> download site as the source, as part of the 'utility programs needed 
> for reproducing the executable'.

Hm. MS does provide free versions of its compilers, but not the ones the 
"official" SVN Win32 binary is built with...

> This would appear to preclude the use of the Neon library.

Well, if Joe decides we're infringing his copyright and license terms, 
then I can finally stop building the Win32 distro. :)

-- Brane


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