Re: OT: Licensing Java code (was Tests)

[Dalibor Topic]

Hi Thomas,

Thomas wrote:
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> On Sunday 28 March 2004 18:41, you wrote:
>
> > > Is the Apache licence considered Free for you guys (I'm really an open
> > > source programmer, not a free-software one..).
> >
> > Yes, it certainly is a Free Software license.
> > But it is currently not compatible with the GPL.
> > ... we don't really recommend
> > releasing and/or combining larger works under the Apache license.
>
> For my puposes the GPL is too viral. Java is quickly becoming the choice of 
> big companies for their apps; and GPL is almost never a correct licence for 
> code from companies.  LGPL would be, if it would be fixed by the FSF to be 
> 'compatible' with Java..

GNU Classpath uses GPL+special-linking-exception which protects the core 
code base by GPL while allowing creation of derived works without being 
necessarily bound by the GPL. I think it's better than LGPL at that, 
since the LGPL is very specific when it talks about linking mechanisms, 
whereas the GPL uses more generic, copyright terms.

So I think GPL + linking exception is a very nice license for library 
code, and a better one than the LGPL.

cheers,
dalibor topic