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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mike Steglich asked:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> Is it permitted to have a program licensed under GPLv3 and an EPL software <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> in one binary distribution? There is no share of source code ore use of a library.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> The GPL binary executes the EPL binary as an external process (as a command<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> line tool). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mike Milinkovich replied:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> The answer, as always, is "it depends". Have you read [1] and [2]? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> They capture the basic positions of both the FSF and the Eclipse Foundation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> However, they do focus primarily on the plug-in scenario. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> [1] <a href="http://mmilinkov.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/epl-gpl-commentary/">http://mmilinkov.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/epl-gpl-commentary/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>> [2] <a href="http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/using-the-gpl-for-eclipse-plug-ins">http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/using-the-gpl-for-eclipse-plug-ins</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>For the record, and even though you've heard this from me before, I'll say again that the analysis in the FSF FAQ is wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There is no copyright or GPL license restriction on combining GPL and any other open source or proprietary software by functional linking *<b>as long as one does not thereby create a derivative work</b>*.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Derivative work analysis in copyright cases is admittedly complicated. There have been several excellent articles in the International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (</span><a href="http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr">http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr</a>) <span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>that address this topic far better than anything you'll read in the FSF FAQ. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A combined GPL and EPL work is typically released as one single binary for functional purposes only and the combination has nothing to do with the expressive nature of their source code. As far as I am aware, derivative work analysis in copyright law explicitly excludes the functional aspects of the works in question. I would appreciate hearing any legal citations to the contrary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Clearing up this FUD would allow us to answer Mike Steglich and others in the FOSS community simply: Be free to combine GPL and EPL and any other non-GPL software in one binary or source code distribution. Just don't distribute derivative works of the GPL software except under the GPL.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>/Larry<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Lawrence Rosen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Rosenlaw & Einschlag, a technology law firm (www.rosenlaw.com) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>3001 King Ranch Road, Ukiah, CA 95482<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> license-discuss-bounces@opensource.org [mailto:license-discuss-bounces@opensource.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mike Milinkovich<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:03 AM<br><b>To:</b> license-discuss@opensource.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [License-discuss] GPL and non-GPL binaries in one distribution<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mike,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The answer, as always, is "it depends". Have you read [1] and [2]? They capture the basic positions of both the FSF and the Eclipse Foundation. However, they do focus primarily on the plug-in scenario. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>[1] <a href="http://mmilinkov.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/epl-gpl-commentary/">http://mmilinkov.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/epl-gpl-commentary/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>[2] <a href="http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/using-the-gpl-for-eclipse-plug-ins">http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/using-the-gpl-for-eclipse-plug-ins</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> license-discuss-bounces@opensource.org [mailto:license-discuss-bounces@opensource.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mike Steglich<br><b>Sent:</b> January-12-12 10:59 AM<br><b>To:</b> license-discuss@opensource.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [License-discuss] GPL and non-GPL binaries in one distribution<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Hi,<br><br>Is it permitted to have a program licensed under GPLv3 and an EPL software in one binary distribution? There is no share of source code ore use of a library. The GPL binary executes the EPL binary as an external process (as a command line tool). <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>I interpret that as an aggregate: <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> <i>A compilation of a covered work with other separate and independent works, which are not by their nature extensions of the covered work, and which are not combined with it such as to form a larger program, in or on a volume of a storage or distribution medium, is called an "aggregate" if the compilation and its resulting copyright are not used to limit the access or legal rights of the compilation's users beyond what the individual works permit. Inclusion of a covered work in an aggregate does not cause this License to apply to the other parts of the aggregate. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Am I right or not?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><br>Thanks <br><br>Mike<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>