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Posted to user@commons.apache.org by Matthijs Wensveen <ma...@phil.uu.nl> on 2005/04/21 11:18:42 UTC
gpl software with commons components?
Hi everyone,
Maybe this question has been asked a thousand times already, in that
case I am sorry.
I have made a piece of software that I want to place on sourceforge. It
is a library that makes use of lucene and a lot of other jakarta commons
components. Those jars are licenced under the apache licence (2.0). Does
the AL being incompatible with the GPL make it impossible for me to
licence my library under the GPL? I find the whole this-links-with-that
clauses in the GPL very vague.
I can probably licence my software under another GPL incompatible
licence, like AL, right?
Any advice on this?
Thanks,
Matthijs
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Re: gpl software with commons components?
Posted by robert burrell donkin <ro...@blueyonder.co.uk>.
On Fri, 2005-04-22 at 09:18 +0200, Mattias J wrote:
> There is a whole bunch of other Open Source license alternatives:
> http://www.opensource.org/licenses/
> One very non-restrictive is the zlib/libpng License
> http://www.opensource.org/licenses/zlib-license.php
>
> Though I have no idea how they relate to ASL. (What clauses makes ASL and
> GPL possibly "incompatible"?)
IANAL
IIRC some people believe that the GPL implies an implicit patent grant.
ASL 2.0 contains a patent related clause. the free software foundation
believes that the different treatments of patents renders ASL2.0
incompatible with the GPL.
take a google or try slashdot if you want to hear the various
arguments.
- robert
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Re: gpl software with commons components?
Posted by Mattias J <mj...@expertsystem.se>.
There is a whole bunch of other Open Source license alternatives:
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/
One very non-restrictive is the zlib/libpng License
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/zlib-license.php
Though I have no idea how they relate to ASL. (What clauses makes ASL and
GPL possibly "incompatible"?)
At 2005-04-21 20:37, you wrote:
>On Thu, 2005-04-21 at 15:28 +0200, Torsten Curdt wrote:
> > Matthijs Wensveen wrote:
> > > Hi everyone,
> > > Maybe this question has been asked a thousand times already, in that
> > > case I am sorry.
> > > I have made a piece of software that I want to place on sourceforge. It
> > > is a library that makes use of lucene and a lot of other jakarta commons
> > > components. Those jars are licenced under the apache licence (2.0). Does
> > > the AL being incompatible with the GPL make it impossible for me to
> > > licence my library under the GPL?
> >
> > AFAIK this (release under GPL but using
> > AL components) should be ok - legally.
>
>IANAL
>
>the free software foundation discusses (at length) how they see things
>here: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html. (they do not think
>that you can combine a GPL'd module without another that is ASL2.0'd.)
>this decision was more than a little controversial and others disagree
>(GPL is silent about patents but IIRC some believe that patient grants
>are implied whereas others do not). it is possible that differences in
>statue and legal systems means that different jurisdictions would
>deliver different judgements (if the matter ever came to court).
>
>so sadly, the only good answer at the moment is: consult a lawyer.
>
>if you cannot afford to consult a lawyer then my personal advice is to
>carefully read both the ASL2.0 and GPL. then do the right thing
>ethically. even if one day, a court interprets the law in an unexpected
>fashion at least you can hold your head up high and say: i did what i
>thought was right.
>
>- robert
>
>
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Re: gpl software with commons components?
Posted by robert burrell donkin <ro...@blueyonder.co.uk>.
On Thu, 2005-04-21 at 15:28 +0200, Torsten Curdt wrote:
> Matthijs Wensveen wrote:
> > Hi everyone,
> > Maybe this question has been asked a thousand times already, in that
> > case I am sorry.
> > I have made a piece of software that I want to place on sourceforge. It
> > is a library that makes use of lucene and a lot of other jakarta commons
> > components. Those jars are licenced under the apache licence (2.0). Does
> > the AL being incompatible with the GPL make it impossible for me to
> > licence my library under the GPL?
>
> AFAIK this (release under GPL but using
> AL components) should be ok - legally.
IANAL
the free software foundation discusses (at length) how they see things
here: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html. (they do not think
that you can combine a GPL'd module without another that is ASL2.0'd.)
this decision was more than a little controversial and others disagree
(GPL is silent about patents but IIRC some believe that patient grants
are implied whereas others do not). it is possible that differences in
statue and legal systems means that different jurisdictions would
deliver different judgements (if the matter ever came to court).
so sadly, the only good answer at the moment is: consult a lawyer.
if you cannot afford to consult a lawyer then my personal advice is to
carefully read both the ASL2.0 and GPL. then do the right thing
ethically. even if one day, a court interprets the law in an unexpected
fashion at least you can hold your head up high and say: i did what i
thought was right.
- robert
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Re: gpl software with commons components?
Posted by Torsten Curdt <tc...@apache.org>.
Matthijs Wensveen wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> Maybe this question has been asked a thousand times already, in that
> case I am sorry.
> I have made a piece of software that I want to place on sourceforge. It
> is a library that makes use of lucene and a lot of other jakarta commons
> components. Those jars are licenced under the apache licence (2.0). Does
> the AL being incompatible with the GPL make it impossible for me to
> licence my library under the GPL?
AFAIK this (release under GPL but using
AL components) should be ok - legally.
But not the other way round. (using
GPL components and then release under AL)
> I can probably licence my software under another GPL incompatible
> licence, like AL, right?
Well, it's up to you want you want.
Hard to give an advice without starting
to get philosophic... ;)
cheers
--
Torsten