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Re: LGPL license violation (Neon) on Windows

From: Karl Fogel <kfogel_at_red-bean.com>
Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 18:44:01 -0400

"Mark Phippard" <markphip_at_gmail.com> writes:
> Just to be clear on the part of my message you are quoting. The
> Eclipse Foundation does not allow any LGPL code no matter how it is
> provided. So this part of the message was really different then
> whether we are properly packaging it for Windows. Even if we are
> doing it perfectly, Eclipse still would not take it.

Oh, sorry. I thought you meant FSF, but you meant Eclipse Foundation.

> I'll just go back to Subclipse. We are just passing along the
> binaries that this project posts. Does the way those binaries are
> built create obligations for Subclipse to make the Subversion source
> code available in our packaging?

I understand your concern now.

I believe that, according to Section 4 of the LGPL 2.1, Subclipse does
not need to make the Subversion source code available in its packaging.
Subclipse might need to make the *Neon* source code available from the
same download site where Subclipse itself is available from:

   "If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy
    from a designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the
    source code from the same place satisfies the requirement to
    distribute the source code, even though third parties are not
    compelled to copy the source along with the object code."

So you don't have to put Neon's source code in your package, you just
have to make it available at the same place.

I am not a lawyer. On the other hand, I guess this is partly the
Subversion Corporation's responsibility. I'll ask Karen Sandler of the
SFLC (softwarefreedom.org), who probably knows the LGPL inside out,
whether there's anything to worry about.

Also note Section 14:

   "If you wish to incorporate parts of the Library into other free
    programs whose distribution conditions are incompatible with these,
    write to the author to ask for permission. For software which is
    copyrighted by the Free Software Foundation, write to the Free
    Software Foundation; we sometimes make exceptions for this. Our
    decision will be guided by the two goals of preserving the free
    status of all derivatives of our free software and of promoting the
    sharing and reuse of software generally."

IOW, we could just ask Joe to say it's okay :-).

-Karl

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Received on 2008-05-09 00:44:09 CEST

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