You are viewing a plain text version of this content. The canonical link for it is here.
Posted to dev@openjpa.apache.org by Craig L Russell <Cr...@Sun.COM> on 2007/06/04 19:26:39 UTC
Fwd: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
FYI. This is a significant development in licensing. For the first
time, an Apache license is compatible with a GPL license.
I don't have a "details url".
Craig
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Justin Erenkrantz <je...@apache.org>
> Date: June 4, 2007 10:05:51 AM PDT
> To: Ed Burnette <Ed...@sas.com>
> Subject: Re: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
>
> On 6/4/07, Ed Burnette <Ed...@sas.com> wrote:
>> The Free Software Foundation says that the final draft of GPLv3
>> "makes the Apache License, version 2.0, fully compatible with
>> GPLv3". However I haven't seen any announcements from Apache
>> saying the same thing. I have a few questions:
>>
>> 1. Can you confirm that this is the case?
>
> Yes, it is.
>
>> 2. Could you explain from a programmer's point of view how exactly
>> that will work?
>>
>> 2a. Are programmers allowed to freely mix GPLv3 and ASLv2 code
>> in the same projects?
>
> Yes, and we're very excited about this!
>
>> 2b. What license will cover the combined work?
>
> GPLv3 with the relevant terms of Section 7 enabled to ensure
> compliance with the ALv2.
>
>> 3. Using a specific example of Apache Harmony and Sun's OpenJDK
>> (Java 7), assuming that the officially published version of GPLv3
>> is still compatibile with Apache, and assuming that OpenJDK
>> upgrades to GPLv3 (+ classpath exception), will Harmony be able to
>> "share code" with OpenJDK? Under what circumstances could such
>> sharing occur or not occur?
>
> Assuming OpenJDK does upgrade to GPLv3, the compatibility will be a
> one-way street - OpenJDK will be free (and absolutely encouraged!) to
> incorporate code from Apache Harmony and license the combined work
> under the GPLv3 (per above). However, Apache Harmony will not be able
> to incorporate code from OpenJDK - which would be licensed under the
> GPLv3 - and remain under the terms of the Apache License version 2.
>
> The hypothetical collective combined work will be controlled under the
> terms of the GPLv3 - the code from Apache isn't relicensed per se (as
> the ALv2 still applies to our code). The statement about
> compatibility from the FSF is that the GPLv3 can incorporate code that
> is licensed under the ALv2 and still have the larger combined work
> redistributed under the terms of the GPLv3.
>
> If you have any follow-on questions, please feel free to let us know.
>
> Thanks!
> Justin Erenkrantz
> The Apache Software Foundation
Craig Russell
Architect, Sun Java Enterprise System http://java.sun.com/products/jdo
408 276-5638 mailto:Craig.Russell@sun.com
P.S. A good JDO? O, Gasp!
Re: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
Posted by Craig L Russell <Cr...@Sun.COM>.
Hi Robert,
On Jun 5, 2007, at 12:46 PM, robert burrell donkin wrote:
> On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
>> Hi Robert,
>>
>> On Jun 4, 2007, at 2:24 PM, robert burrell donkin wrote:
>>
>> > On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
>> >> FYI. This is a significant development in licensing. For the first
>> >> time, an Apache license is compatible with a GPL license.
>> >
>> > it's been a long and hard road but it looks like we may have
>> made it
>> > to the end, in the end :-)
>> >
>> > thanks to everyone involved
>> >
>> >> I don't have a "details url".
>> >
>> > i'm not quite sure what you mean
>>
>> I mean that AFAIK there's no FAQ posted anywhere. I know there are
>> discussions going on on other email lists but no definitive FAQ has
>> been published.
>
> IMHO it's hard to be definitive right now for the following reasons:
>
> 1. GPL3 is still only a draft and is subject to change
>
> 2. the members are currently electing a new apache board
>
> 3. compatibility is mostly about the software libre movement's view of
> the AL2. what matters more than the legal arguments is that the FSF is
> clearly satisfied that AL2'd source can be included within a GPL3'd
> work. with this blessing, it's ethical to create such works.
>
> i hope to help create a set of use cases but it will take a little
> while since it needs to be done in conjunction with the FSF. probably
> best to make this ad hoc working group public.
Just to be clear: I'm not pushing for anything to happen. I'm just
trying to make sure that the group I'm watching out for know that
there is activity going on.
Regards,
Craig
>
> - robert
Craig Russell
Architect, Sun Java Enterprise System http://java.sun.com/products/jdo
408 276-5638 mailto:Craig.Russell@sun.com
P.S. A good JDO? O, Gasp!
Re: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
Posted by robert burrell donkin <ro...@gmail.com>.
On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
> Hi Robert,
>
> On Jun 4, 2007, at 2:24 PM, robert burrell donkin wrote:
>
> > On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
> >> FYI. This is a significant development in licensing. For the first
> >> time, an Apache license is compatible with a GPL license.
> >
> > it's been a long and hard road but it looks like we may have made it
> > to the end, in the end :-)
> >
> > thanks to everyone involved
> >
> >> I don't have a "details url".
> >
> > i'm not quite sure what you mean
>
> I mean that AFAIK there's no FAQ posted anywhere. I know there are
> discussions going on on other email lists but no definitive FAQ has
> been published.
IMHO it's hard to be definitive right now for the following reasons:
1. GPL3 is still only a draft and is subject to change
2. the members are currently electing a new apache board
3. compatibility is mostly about the software libre movement's view of
the AL2. what matters more than the legal arguments is that the FSF is
clearly satisfied that AL2'd source can be included within a GPL3'd
work. with this blessing, it's ethical to create such works.
i hope to help create a set of use cases but it will take a little
while since it needs to be done in conjunction with the FSF. probably
best to make this ad hoc working group public.
- robert
Re: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
Posted by Craig L Russell <Cr...@Sun.COM>.
Hi Robert,
On Jun 4, 2007, at 2:24 PM, robert burrell donkin wrote:
> On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
>> FYI. This is a significant development in licensing. For the first
>> time, an Apache license is compatible with a GPL license.
>
> it's been a long and hard road but it looks like we may have made it
> to the end, in the end :-)
>
> thanks to everyone involved
>
>> I don't have a "details url".
>
> i'm not quite sure what you mean
I mean that AFAIK there's no FAQ posted anywhere. I know there are
discussions going on on other email lists but no definitive FAQ has
been published.
Craig
>
> - robert
Craig Russell
Architect, Sun Java Enterprise System http://java.sun.com/products/jdo
408 276-5638 mailto:Craig.Russell@sun.com
P.S. A good JDO? O, Gasp!
Re: Question on Apache and GPL compatibility
Posted by robert burrell donkin <ro...@gmail.com>.
On 6/4/07, Craig L Russell <Cr...@sun.com> wrote:
> FYI. This is a significant development in licensing. For the first
> time, an Apache license is compatible with a GPL license.
it's been a long and hard road but it looks like we may have made it
to the end, in the end :-)
thanks to everyone involved
> I don't have a "details url".
i'm not quite sure what you mean
- robert