105
votes
What does "GPL with classpath exception" mean in practice?
First off, I Am Not A Lawyer. But I have studied many licenses and understand issues concerning them.
Second, I know this is an old question, but I think it still is a point of confusion and concern....
- 1,289
19
votes
Mozilla Public License (MPL 2.0) vs Lesser GNU General Public License (LGPL 3.0)
The answer of DougM and AER makes a fair point.
MPLv2 and LGPLv3 with static exception are the same regarding the events that would trigger the copyleft.
However, I think we are missing another very ...
- 299
14
votes
Accepted
Can I use some GPL code in LGPL project?
The combination of GPL code and LGPL code must be licensed under the GPL. If you want to use that code, you'll have to change your license, or refrain from using it. If the other project would want ...
- 134k
10
votes
Accepted
How was the Mono Project able to relicense their LGPLed libraries under MIT?
If you take a look at Mono on GitHub, specifically the CONTRIBUTING.md file prior to its update after Microsoft bought Xamarin (and thus Mono), it states:
The runtime (mono/...) is a special case. ...
- 39.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Why does the LGPL require combined works to include a copy of the GPL?
The LGPL is not a license of its own, but an extension of the GPL. It states:
This version of the GNU Lesser General Public License incorporates the terms and conditions of version 3 of the GNU ...
- 134k
9
votes
Accepted
Does providing object files satisfy LGPL relink clause?
Yes, you are completely correct. Providing the object files for your application is sufficient to satisfy the LGPL because it allows the user to replace the LGPL'd library with some other version if ...
- 27.7k
7
votes
Best freeware license for my closed-source application
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Consult your copyright attorney if you want clarification on any of these issues.
uses a statically linked class licensed under "GNU GPL v2 or any ...
- 11.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Creating a private in-house application with Qt
Use of a software internally is not considered a conveyance by the GPL, so you wouldn't have to give source code to anyone.
The moment you decide to distribute your software to any third party, then ...
- 27.7k
5
votes
Accomodating a LGPL Python module into a BSD project
If your program depends on an LGPL licensed module/library, then the basic requirement on you is that you must ensure that the users of your program or derived versions of it have the possibility to ...
- 73.3k
5
votes
Accepted
If I create a desktop application using Tkinter, PyGTK or PyGame does my app have to be open source?
[ this is not legal advice, also I am not a lawyer, if you want a specific legal interpretation, please consult a lawyer ]
It seems tkinter is licensed under the BSD license, so should be OK for your ...
- 4,249
5
votes
Re-releasing LGPL code as AGPL : need advice on how to phrase license
You may not re-release Ffmpeg under AGPL, as doing so imposes new restrictions on distribution, which is in violation of the original GPL license the software was distributed to you by.
Only the ...
- 27.7k
5
votes
Accepted
How to revive an abandoned LGPL project?
The LGPL v2.1 states that:
You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that
you conspicuously and appropriately ...
- 75.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Prevent my clients from giving or selling my software using a LGPLv3 library to others
If it were a GPL app, you wouldn't be able to do this, but LGPL has an important difference: the viral licensing property doesn't affect your project's code if you dynamically link to it. So as long ...
- 82.4k
4
votes
Best freeware license for my closed-source application
You are out of luck.
The GPL license is written in such a way that if even the tiniest part of your code was provided to you under the GPL license, then you are required to use the GPL license as ...
- 73.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Using GPLed headers in LGPLed library
Your library can #include the GPLed header but if you don't distribute a copy of that file with your library, you can compliantly distribute your source code under the LGPL. I'm not certain what the ...
- 3,104
4
votes
Accepted
Do I need to make my code open source or buy a license?
Qt, unless you buy an exception, is licensed as LGPL. This means that whatever modifications you make to Qt has to also be released as LGPL. Your application, on the other hand, does not have to be ...
3
votes
Accepted
LGPL library is linked statically to other LGPL library
To comply with the LGPL requirements, your users must have a way to replace the LGPL-licensed libraries with (compatible) versions of their own.
To replace library2, your users will have to recompile ...
- 73.3k
3
votes
Software derived from LGPL library
We cannot possibly answer this.
The crucial question is "Is your code a derived work of their code?" Since you started out with their code, it might very well be, even if no line remained unchanged. ...
- 108k
3
votes
Accepted
Open Source Licenses like GPL in Multiple Licenses models
If the contributors of changes agree to a Contributor License Agreement (CLA), then the project owner holds all of the copyright. In essence, contributors can be asked to give up their rights to own ...
- 80.4k
3
votes
LGPL, .lib, .dll, and linking
The libconfig project builds a dll, but I also need to link my project against the .lib of libconfig to get the dll's definitions (Can someone explain why this is necessary, when I'm already including ...
- 139
3
votes
If I create a desktop application using Tkinter, PyGTK or PyGame does my app have to be open source?
In general, the output of a GPL or LGPL program is not covered by the license unless it includes source code from the program itself. Some compilers do this.
When that happens, generally an ...
- 199k
3
votes
Calling closed source library from LGPL library
LGPL and iOS applications don't mix well. For iPhone apps have to be statically linked together so everything must at the very least be LGPL. You cannot have parts be closed source.
- 161
3
votes
Accepted
Why should I release my code under BSD license and why not under LGPL?
There are two big differences between the LGPL and the BSD license.
First, if you distribute an LGPL-licensed library, you have to provide the source. (This is slightly different from what you said. ...
- 15.1k
2
votes
Accepted
Re-releasing LGPL code as AGPL : need advice on how to phrase license
Quoting https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html#AGPLv3.0 :
Please note that the GNU AGPL is not compatible with GPLv2. It is also
technically not compatible with GPLv3 in a strict sense:...
- 4,515
2
votes
Accomodating a LGPL Python module into a BSD project
The LGPL grants you distribution rights with certain conditions. If you aren't distributing the library yourself then there's nothing you need to do. You simply need to document that your program ...
- 25.3k
2
votes
Why should I release my code under BSD license and why not under LGPL?
The first thing to bear in mind is that, for the vast majority of open-source libraries, there is only ever one contributor to the code: the creator of that library.
If it's one of many similar ...
- 39.1k
1
vote
Accepted
Static link GUI project as dynamic library
If your GUI project is released per the terms of the LGPL, including its entire source, not just the object file, then dynamically link to it with your logic application, you'd be OK.
You either ...
- 27.7k
1
vote
How was the Mono Project able to relicense their LGPLed libraries under MIT?
Code contributions to Mono require that the contributor submit them under the terms of the .NET Foundation CLA (PDF link).
I'm not a lawyer, but this bit:
a. Copyright License.
You grant .NET ...
- 5,656
1
vote
Re-releasing LGPL code as AGPL : need advice on how to phrase license
FFmpeg is released under the LGPL, however some optional parts are GPL licenced, so you have a choice as a user of FFmpeg: to use the LGPL parts in a LGPL product, or to incorporate the GPL parts in a ...
- 48.5k
1
vote
Distributing commercial software with Apache 2.0 libs that have LGPL transitive Dependencies
LGPL is "weaker" than the GPL, but not in the way you describe. The difference has nothing to do with whether or not you modified the LGPL'd library.
Here's a very rough high-level description that ...
- 27.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible