[License-discuss] Proposal: Apache Third Party License Policy

Lawrence Rosen lrosen at rosenlaw.com
Wed May 27 18:17:13 UTC 2015


Nigel, your answer echoes many others:

 

> If I have to start checking every Apache package for GPL code I'll have to

> strongly recommend that we approach all Apache packages with caution.

 

If we amended the proposal to leave out the GPL licenses, would that calm
your concerns? 

 

I'd really hate to do that at Apache for that set of generous FOSS licenses,
but fear is fear.... Apache didn't cause this fear of "infection" and Apache
can't cure it. There is a group of attorneys that is drafting an appropriate
"exception" that would allow at least some GPL software to be aggregated
with Apache software.

 

But are ALL other OSI-approved licenses OK with you? 

 

/Larry

 

 

From: Tzeng, Nigel H. [mailto:Nigel.Tzeng at jhuapl.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 9:42 AM
To: members at apache.org; lrosen at rosenlaw.com; 'License Discuss'
Subject: Re: [License-discuss] Proposal: Apache Third Party License Policy

 

Thanks, without the context it was somewhat harder to follow on
license-discuss.

 

Consider this a vote in the negative as a non-member user of Apache
software. If I have to start checking every Apache package for GPL code I'll
have to strongly recommend that we approach all Apache packages with
caution.

 

Becoming a "universal acceptor" significantly impacts your ability to be a
"universal donor".  I have no desire to accidentally be the cause of any
organization I work for becoming the test case for what is an aggregation vs
what is a derivative.  If Apache was willing to indemnify downstream
users.yah, I didn't think so.

 

Nice try though.

 

From: "lrosen at rosenlaw.com <mailto:lrosen at rosenlaw.com> "
<lrosen at rosenlaw.com <mailto:lrosen at rosenlaw.com> >
Reply-To: "members at apache.org <mailto:members at apache.org> "
<members at apache.org <mailto:members at apache.org> >, "lrosen at rosenlaw.com
<mailto:lrosen at rosenlaw.com> " <lrosen at rosenlaw.com
<mailto:lrosen at rosenlaw.com> >, License Discuss
<license-discuss at opensource.org <mailto:license-discuss at opensource.org> >
Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 10:16 PM
To: License Discuss <license-discuss at opensource.org
<mailto:license-discuss at opensource.org> >
Subject: [License-discuss] Proposal: Apache Third Party License Policy

 

[This has been a hellishly long thread on private Apache lists before the
board cut off discussion on revised policies. Below was the short start of
it I submitted over two weeks ago. Apache board members don't want to revise
current policy. Many Apache members don't want it. Still, it is a serious
proposal to bring some more freedom and cooperation to open source. Please
treat this as a political document for license-discuss at . /Larry]

 

.

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