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Revision 806801 - (hide annotations)
Sat Aug 22 07:38:21 2009 UTC (3 months ago) by rdonkin
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Include a link to the Software Freedom Law Center to head off questions about how to include Apache licensed source in GPL'd projects
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32 pquerna 646711 <meta name="author" content="The Apache Software Foundation" /><meta name="email" content="apache.AT.apache.DOT.org" />
33 tetsuya 53516 <title>Apache License v2.0 and GPL Compatibility - The Apache Software Foundation</title>
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38     <ul>
39     <li><a href="../" title="Foundation Home">Home</a></li>
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43 sgala 648016 <li><a href="../foundation/getinvolved.html" title="Get involved in Apache">Get Involved</a></li>
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51 pquerna 646711 <div class="block">
52     <div class="column span-24">
53     <div id="header">
54     <!-- Add 'default' header section here. -->
55     <h1>Apache License v2.0 and GPL Compatibility</h1>
56     </div>
57     </div>
58     </div>
59     <hr/>
60     <div class="block">
61     <div class="column span-8 prepend-16 search searchsub">
62     <form action="http://www.google.com/search" method="get">
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65     <input name="Search" value="Go" type="submit"/>
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68     </div>
69     <div class="block content">
70     <div class="column span-15 colborder">
71    
72     <div class="section-content">
73     <p>
74     The <a href="http://www.fsf.org/">Free Software Foundation</a>
75     <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/#apache2">considers</a>
76     the <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0">Apache License, Version 2.0</a>
77     to be a <a href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>
78 rdonkin 806801 license, <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/compat.html">compatible</a>
79     with version 3 of the <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl.html">GPL</a>.
80     The <a href="http://www.softwarefreedom.org/">Software Freedom Law Center</a>
81     provides
82     <a href="http://www.softwarefreedom.org/resources/2007/gpl-non-gpl-collaboration.html">practical advice</a>
83     for developers about including permissively licensed source.
84 pquerna 646711 </p>
85 rubys 767889 <p>Apache 2 software can therefore be included in GPLv3 projects,
86     because the GPLv3
87     license accepts our software into GPLv3 works. However, GPLv3 software
88     cannot be included in Apache projects. The licenses are incompatible in one
89     direction only, and it is a result of ASF's licensing philosophy and the
90     GPLv3 authors' interpretation of copyright law.</p>
91     <p>This licensing incompatibility applies *only* when some Apache project
92     software becomes a derivative work of some GPLv3 software, because then the
93     Apache software would have to be distributed under GPLv3. This would be
94     incompatible with ASF's requirement that all Apache software must be
95     distributed under the Apache License 2.0.</p>
96     <p>We avoid GPLv3 software because merely linking to it is considered by the
97     GPLv3 authors to create a derivative work. We want to honor their license.
98     Unless GPLv3 licensors relax this interpretation of their own license
99     regarding linking, our licensing philosophies are fundamentally
100     incompatible. This is an identical issue for both GPLv2 and GPLv3.</p>
101 pquerna 646711 <p>Despite our best efforts, the FSF has never considered the Apache
102     License to be compatible with GPL version 2, citing the patent
103     termination and indemnification provisions as restrictions not present
104     in the older GPL license. The Apache Software Foundation believes
105     that you should always try to obey the constraints expressed by the
106     copyright holder when redistributing their work.</p>
107     </div>
108    
109 sgala 648016 <h4>
110 pquerna 646711 No, we don't have any patents
111     </h4>
112     <div class="section-content">
113     <p>
114     The Apache Software Foundation is a nonprofit organization
115     that is dedicated to open source software development.
116     We never knowingly incorporate patented technology in our own products
117     unless such technology has been offered free for everyone.
118     </p>
119     <p>
120     Please note that this discussion only benefits third parties that
121     produce GPL-covered products. The Apache Software Foundation does not
122     allow its own projects to distribute software under licenses more
123     restrictive than the Apache License, and the Free Software Foundation
124     does not distribute software under the Apache License.
125     </p>
126     <p>
127     The ASF will not dual-license our software because such licenses
128     make it impossible to determine the conditions under which we have
129     agreed to collaborate on a collective product, and are thus contrary to
130     the Apache spirit of open, collaborative development among individuals,
131     industry, and nonprofit organizations.
132     </p>
133     </div>
134     </div>
135 pquerna 646776 <div class="column span-8 last">
136     <div class="block">
137     <div class="nav column span-11">
138     <div>
139     <div class="menuheader"><a
140 slive 388798 href="http://projects.apache.org/">Apache Projects</a></div>
141 pquerna 646711 <ul>
142 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://httpd.apache.org/" title="Apache Web Server (httpd)">HTTP Server</a></li>
143 rooneg 731792 <li><a href="http://abdera.apache.org/" title="Atom Publishing Protocol Implementation">Abdera</a></li>
144 bayard 502827 <li><a href="http://activemq.apache.org/" title="Distributed Messaging System">ActiveMQ</a></li>
145 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://ant.apache.org/" title="Java-based build tool">Ant</a></li>
146     <li><a href="http://apr.apache.org/" title="Apache Portable Runtime libraries">APR</a></li>
147 bsnyder 651604 <li><a href="http://archiva.apache.org/" title="Build Artifact Repository Manager">Archiva</a></li>
148 slive 280620 <li><a href="http://beehive.apache.org/" title="Metadata frameworks for enterprise applications">Beehive</a></li>
149 mriou 746808 <li><a href="http://buildr.apache.org/" title="Simple and intuitive build system for Java applications">Buildr</a></li>
150 dkulp 736321 <li><a href="http://camel.apache.org/" title="Spring based Integration Framework which implements the Enterprise Integration Patterns">Camel</a></li>
151 bayard 502654 <li><a href="http://cayenne.apache.org/" title="User-friendly Java ORM with Tools">Cayenne</a></li>
152 leosimons 53588 <li><a href="http://cocoon.apache.org/" title="Web development framework: separation of concerns, component-based">Cocoon</a></li>
153 niallp 561221 <li><a href="http://commons.apache.org/" title="Reusable Java components">Commons</a></li>
154 brett 638116 <li><a href="http://continuum.apache.org/" title="Continuous Integration and Build Server">Continuum</a></li>
155 damien 727203 <li><a href="http://couchdb.apache.org/" title="RESTful document database">CouchDB</a></li>
156 bsnyder 651533 <li><a href="http://cxf.apache.org/" title="Service Framework">CXF</a></li>
157 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://db.apache.org/" title="Database access">DB</a></li>
158 brett 164388 <li><a href="http://directory.apache.org/" title="Apache Directory Server">Directory</a></li>
159 jerenkrantz 53634 <li><a href="http://excalibur.apache.org/" title="Embeddable software libraries related to component and service management access">Excalibur</a></li>
160 sebb 550970 <li><a href="http://felix.apache.org/" title="OSGi Framework and components.">Felix</a></li>
161 leosimons 53588 <li><a href="http://forrest.apache.org/" title="Aggregated multi-channel documentation, separation of concerns">Forrest</a></li>
162 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://geronimo.apache.org/" title="Java2, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) container">Geronimo</a></li>
163     <li><a href="http://gump.apache.org/" title="Continuous integration of open source projects">Gump</a></li>
164 omalley 614700 <li><a href="http://hadoop.apache.org/" title="Distributed computing platform">Hadoop</a></li>
165 geirm 475589 <li><a href="http://harmony.apache.org/" title="Open source implementation of Java SE">Harmony</a></li>
166 erikabele 604164 <li><a href="http://hc.apache.org/" title="Java toolset of low level HTTP components">HttpComponents</a></li>
167 nd 329550 <li><a href="http://ibatis.apache.org/" title="SQL Data Mapper for Java and .NET">iBATIS</a></li>
168 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://incubator.apache.org/" title="Shepherd for new projects">Incubator</a></li>
169 fielding 390947 <li><a href="http://jackrabbit.apache.org/" title="Content Repository for Java">Jackrabbit</a></li>
170 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://jakarta.apache.org/" title="Server-side Java">Jakarta</a></li>
171     <li><a href="http://james.apache.org/" title="Java Apache Mail Enterprise Server">James</a></li>
172 niallp 478159 <li><a href="http://labs.apache.org/" title="The Innovation Laboratories of the Apache Software Foundation">Labs</a></li>
173 blautenb 57565 <li><a href="http://lenya.apache.org/" title="Content Management System">Lenya</a></li>
174 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://logging.apache.org/" title="Cross-language logging services">Logging</a></li>
175 ehatcher 153877 <li><a href="http://lucene.apache.org/" title="Search engine library">Lucene</a></li>
176 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://maven.apache.org/" title="Java project management and comprehension tools">Maven</a></li>
177 rdonkin 505719 <li><a href="http://mina.apache.org/" title="Multipurpose Infrastructure for Network Application">Mina</a></li>
178 erikabele 159076 <li><a href="http://myfaces.apache.org/" title="JavaServer(tm) Faces implementation and components">MyFaces</a></li>
179 niclas 558995 <li><a href="http://ode.apache.org/" title="Orchestration Director Engine: Business Process Management (BPM), Process Orchestration and Workflow through service compositioni.">ODE</a></li>
180 yoavs 492171 <li><a href="http://ofbiz.apache.org/" title="Open for Business: enterprise automation software">OFBiz</a></li>
181 brett 555194 <li><a href="http://openejb.apache.org/" title="OpenEJB: a modular, configurable, and extendable EJB Container System and Server">OpenEJB</a></li>
182 clr 550111 <li><a href="http://openjpa.apache.org/" title="OpenJPA: Object Relational Mapping for Java">OpenJPA</a></li>
183 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://perl.apache.org/" title="Dynamic websites using Perl">Perl</a></li>
184 bayard 545643 <li><a href="http://poi.apache.org/" title="Java API for OLE 2 Compound Documents">POI</a></li>
185 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://portals.apache.org/" title="Portal technology">Portals</a></li>
186 pzf 724650 <li><a href="http://qpid.apache.org/" title="Multiple language implementation of the latest Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)">Qpid</a></li>
187 bayard 545783 <li><a href="http://roller.apache.org/" title="Java blog server">Roller</a></li>
188 jim 485702 <li><a href="http://santuario.apache.org/" title="XML Security in Java and C++">Santuario</a></li>
189 niclas 603816 <li><a href="http://servicemix.apache.org/" title="Enterprise Service Bus">ServiceMix</a></li>
190 bdelacretaz 800379 <li><a href="http://sling.apache.org/" title="Web Framework for JCR Content Repositories">Sling</a></li>
191 striker 53629 <li><a href="http://spamassassin.apache.org/" title="Mail filter to identify spam">SpamAssassin</a></li>
192 sebb 618154 <li><a href="http://stdcxx.apache.org/" title="Apache C++ Standard Library">STDCXX</a></li>
193 crossley 53670 <li><a href="http://struts.apache.org/" title="Model 2 framework for building Java web applications">Struts</a></li>
194 pzf 620583 <li><a href="http://synapse.apache.org/" title="Enterprise Service Bus and Mediation Framework">Synapse</a></li>
195 niclas 558995 <li><a href="http://tapestry.apache.org/" title="Component-based Java Web Application Framework">Tapestry</a></li>
196 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://tcl.apache.org/" title="Dynamic websites using TCL">TCL</a></li>
197 niallp 546166 <li><a href="http://tiles.apache.org/" title="A templating framework for web application user interfaces">Tiles</a></li>
198 yoavs 320928 <li><a href="http://tomcat.apache.org/" title="A Java Servlet and JSP Container">Tomcat</a></li>
199 mriou 671224 <li><a href="http://turbine.apache.org/" title="A Java Servlet Web Application Framework and associated component library">Turbine</a></li>
200     <li><a href="http://tuscany.apache.org/" title="An SCA based Service Composition Framework">Tuscany</a></li>
201 henning 493855 <li><a href="http://velocity.apache.org/" title="A Java Templating Engine">Velocity</a></li>
202 niclas 558995 <li><a href="http://wicket.apache.org/" title="Component-based Java Web Application Framework.">Wicket</a></li>
203 slive 53569 <li><a href="http://ws.apache.org/">Web Services</a></li>
204 jim 485702 <li><a href="http://xalan.apache.org/" title="XSLT processors in Java and C++">Xalan</a></li>
205 slive 396878 <li><a href="http://xerces.apache.org/" title="XML parsers in Java, C++ and Perl">Xerces</a></li>
206 slive 53573 <li><a href="http://xml.apache.org/" title="XML solutions focused on the web">XML</a></li>
207 crossley 53670 <li><a href="http://xmlbeans.apache.org/" title="XML-Java binding tool">XMLBeans</a></li>
208 crossley 106623 <li><a href="http://xmlgraphics.apache.org/" title="Conversion from XML to graphical output">XML Graphics</a></li>
209 bayard 732944 <li><a href="http://attic.apache.org/" title="Inactive project repository">Attic</a></li>
210 pquerna 646711 </ul>
211 pquerna 646776 </div>
212 pquerna 646711 </div>
213 pquerna 646776 <div class="nav column prepend-1 span-12 last">
214     <h6><a
215 pquerna 646711 href="/foundation/">Foundation</a></h6>
216     <ul>
217 slive 53569 <li><a href="/foundation/faq.html">FAQ</a></li>
218     <li><a href="/licenses/">Licenses</a></li>
219 bayard 424669 <li><a href="/foundation/news.html">News</a></li>
220 curcuru 750610 <li><a href="/press/">Press Inquiries</a></li>
221 jerenkrantz 53658 <li><a href="/foundation/records/">Public Records</a></li>
222 jim 485702 <li><a href="/foundation/sponsorship.html">Sponsorship</a></li>
223 slive 53569 <li><a href="/foundation/contributing.html">Donations</a></li>
224 rbowen 794820 <li><a href="/foundation/buy_stuff.html">Buy Stuff</a></li>
225 slive 53569 <li><a href="/foundation/thanks.html">Thanks</a></li>
226     <li><a href="/foundation/contact.html">Contact</a></li>
227 pquerna 646711 </ul>
228     <h6>Foundation Projects</h6>
229     <ul>
230 bayard 425749 <li><a href="/foundation/conferences.html" title="Meetings of developers and users">Conferences</a></li>
231     <li><a href="/dev/" title="ASF Infrastructure: Operations and howto documents for PMCs and contributors">Infrastructure</a></li>
232     <li><a href="/jcp/" title="Apache and the Java Community Process">JCP</a></li>
233 bayard 672999 <li><a href="/legal/" title="Legal Affairs">Legal Affairs</a></li>
234 curcuru 750610 <li><a href="/press/" title="Public Relations">Public Relations</a></li>
235 markt 734433 <li><a href="/security/" title="Security">Security</a></li>
236 gmcdonald 698934 <li><a href="/travel/" title="Travel Assistance">Travel Assistance</a></li>
237 pquerna 646711 </ul>
238     <h6>How it works</h6>
239     <ul>
240 crossley 53672 <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html">Introduction</a></li>
241     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#meritocracy">Meritocracy</a></li>
242     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#structure">Structure</a></li>
243     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#roles">Roles</a></li>
244     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#management">Collaboration</a></li>
245     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#infrastructure">Infrastructure</a></li>
246     <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#incubator">Incubator</a></li>
247 curcuru 750610 <li><a href="/press/">Public Relations Committee</a></li>
248 crossley 53672 <li><a href="/foundation/how-it-works.html#other">Other entities</a></li>
249     <li><a href="/foundation/glossary.html">Glossary</a></li>
250     <li><a href="/foundation/voting.html">Voting</a></li>
251 pquerna 646711 </ul>
252     <h6><a
253     href="/foundation/getinvolved.html">Get Involved</a></h6>
254     <ul>
255 slive 53569 <li><a href="/foundation/mailinglists.html">Mailing Lists</a></li>
256     <li><a href="/dev/version-control.html">Version Control</a></li>
257     <li><a href="/dev/">Developer Info</a></li>
258 pquerna 646711 </ul>
259     <h6>Download</h6>
260     <ul>
261     <li><a href="/dyn/closer.cgi">from a mirror</a></li>
262     </ul>
263 upayavira 699245 <h6>Community</h6>
264     <ul>
265     <li><a href="/memorials/">Memorials</a></li>
266     </ul>
267 pquerna 646711 <h6>Related Sites</h6>
268     <ul>
269 bayard 566008 <li><a href="http://apachecon.com/" title="Official Apache Conference">ApacheCon</a></li>
270     <li><a href="http://feathercast.org/" title="Apache Podcasts">Feathercast</a></li>
271 curcuru 750610 <li><a href="http://planet.apache.org/committers/" title="Apache Committers' Blogs">PlanetApache</a></li>
272 pquerna 646711 </ul>
273 pquerna 646776 </div>
274 pquerna 646711 </div>
275     </div>
276 pquerna 646776 <div class="column span-24 footer">
277     <hr/>
278 bayard 783629 <p>Copyright &#169; 2009 The Apache Software Foundation, Licensed under the <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0">Apache License, Version 2.0</a>.<br/>
279     Apache and the Apache feather logo are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation.</p>
280 pquerna 646776 </div>
281     </div>
282 pquerna 646711 </div>
283     </body>
284 fielding 53498 </html>
285 pquerna 646863

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