On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 12:31 AM, Mike Jumper <mike.jum...@guac-dev.org> wrote:
> > Even in the case of the GPL, my understanding is that the virality takes > hold upon linking (at build time), not upon referencing the API via an > import, include, etc. in the source. > Your understanding is, simply put, not aligned with the FSF, and the ASF has decided to follow FSF's conclusion. In fact, a former Director at ASF and lawyer, Larry Rosen, was trying to fight this stance, basically making the claim that GPL is overreaching, and that ended with Larry being kicked out (not only for this particular question). <quote src="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-java.html"; emphasis="mine"> It has always been the FSF's position that *dynamically linking applications to libraries creates a single work derived* from both the library code and the application code.The GPL requires that all derivative works be licensed as a whole under the terms of the GPL, an effect which can be described as “hereditary.” So, if an application links to a library licensed under the GPL, the application too must be licensed under the GPL. : : FSF's position has remained constant throughout: the LGPL works as intended with all known programming languages, including Java. Applications which link to LGPL libraries need not be released under the LGPL. Applications need only follow the requirements in section 6 of the LGPL: allow new versions of the library to be linked with the application; and allow reverse engineering to debug this. </quote> At first, the "link to LGPL libraries need not be released under LGPL" is an indicator that Apache licensed projects could depend on LGPL projects, but it is this "Section 6" that makes LGPL incompatible, since we don't require this of our downstreams. This was hotly debated back in the days when this FSF article was written, and it took us a year or two to nail it down. More info at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html John, As for the case of Hibernate; If you depend on JPA, you don't depend on Hibernate. However, if you depend on JPA in a way so that only Hibernate makes the project work, and that EclipseLink or other implementations can't be used instead, then you are in gray territory and should ask Legal for advice. I am uncertain of that position. Cheers -- Niclas Hedhman, Software Developer http://polygene.apache.org - New Energy for Java
