Linking GPL software with Apache software

[Lawrence Rosen]

[was: "Open Source and Free Software 2009"]

John Cowan suggested:
> Just out of an abundance of wanting to get it right, you should point
> out that the controversy between FSF and ASF is only about the GPLv2,
> and both groups agree that Apache-licensed software can be included in
> works derivative of GPLv3 works.

But not vice versa, unfortunately, for both GPLv2 and GPLv3, because of
FSF's desire not to allow linking of GPL software to Apache works without
deeming the Apache software a derivative work. If it weren't for that, I'm
sure ASF would be delighted to link its software to GPL software so that
both of these software commons could be shared by our common customers.

/Larry




-----Original Message-----
From: John Cowan [mailto:cowan at ccil.org] 
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 4:35 PM
To: Lawrence Rosen
Cc: license-discuss at opensource.org
Subject: Re: Open Source and Free Software 2009

Lawrence Rosen scripsit:

> I wrote an article to introduce the Practising Law Institute (PLI)
> continuing education program on "Open Source and Free Software 2009."

A couple of comments:

# Many programmers who lead open source projects understand the relevant
# law better than their lawyers understand the software.

No $*@#, Sherlock.  The real embarrassment is that many programmers
etc. understand the relevant law better than their lawyers do.  *That*
really needs to change.

# Thus, Apache Software Foundation publishes a detailed FAQ about licenses
# it considers compatible with its own license, excluding the GPL merely
# because the Free Software Foundation intends that incompatibility.

Just out of an abundance of wanting to get it right, you should point
out that the controversy between FSF and ASF is only about the GPLv2,
and both groups agree that Apache-licensed software can be included in
works derivative of GPLv3 works.

-- 
Even a refrigerator can conform to the XML      John Cowan
Infoset, as long as it has a door sticker       cowan at ccil.org
saying "No information items inside".           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
        --Eve Maler