Releasing JUnit tests for GPL code

[John Cowan]

Thomas Léauté scripsit:

> I am working on a piece of software that is distributed under
> GPL_v3. The project uses JUnit for unit testing, and we would like
> to also distribute the JUnit tests, as a proof of quality of our
> software. However we are facing a license incompatibility issue :
> our JUnit tests obviously link to our GPL code, so, the only possible
> choice of license for the JUnit tests is the GPL, but they also use
> the JUnit library (by subclassing JUnit classes), which is distributed
> under the CPL, which is GPL-incompatible.

Comprehensive disclaimer:  I am not a lawyer.  Most people on mailing
lists are not lawyers either.  Those who are lawyers are not *your*
lawyers.  This email is not legal advice.  It is not the unauthorized
practice of law either.

This question has been raised several times on the JUnit mailing list.
The general consensus is that subclassing JUnit classes does not in any
real sense make your tests a derivative work of JUnit; rather, this is
the normal and expected *use* of JUnit.  Go ahead and release your tests
under the GPL, therefore.

What is more, if you are the copyright owner of all the tests and code,
you may release them with a notice saying "Notwithstanding the provisions
of the GPL, use of these tests with the JUnit library is explicitly
permitted."  Copyright owners are not bould by their own licenses.

-- 
BALIN FUNDINUL          UZBAD KHAZADDUMU        cowan at ccil.org
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