On Sun, 28 May 2006 21:28:00 -0700 Nedjo Rogers <nedjo@islandnet.com> wrote:
The GPL appears to allow us to combine GPL and "compatible" code in a single GPL-licensed package. Can we include such code in drupal.org CVS?
This is a pressing issue because there is considerable interest in using external GPL-compatible but non-GPL Javascript libraries (Prototype, jQuery), at least in contrib and possibly as candidates for core.
Our CVS policy states "All code must be licensed under GNU/GPL" (contributions README.txt).
The practice has been to interpret this as meaning that open source libraries with "MIT" or similar licenses may not be included in Drupal CVS.
However, the Free Software Project has designated a number of licenses, including the "MIT" license, as "compatible" with the GPL, because they impose no restrictions that conflict with the GPL, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html#GPLCompatibleLicenses. The GPL FAQ specifically states, http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhatDoesCompatMean, that the GPL permits you to "combine code released under the other [compatible] license with code released under the GNU GPL in one larger program" privided that "such a combination ... is released under the GNU GPL".
In other words, apparently, we can GPL the combination of GPL code and code with compatible licenses. So, it appears, we should be free to include "MIT" and other compatible-licensed code in our CVS and releases, provided we make it clear we are thus GPL-ing the combination.
According to a GPL Compliance Engineer from the FSF this is correct. I specifically wrote them to ask about releasing a BSD licensed module, and he confirmed that when released together with Drupal the collection was GPL'd, but when my module was downloaded on its own it had the additional permissions allowed under the less restrictive BSD license. http://lists.drupal.org/archives/documentation/2005-07/msg00054.html
So, can we go ahead and put such combinations in CVS?
Can we consider/propose them for core?
I think the problem is when people commit changes into CVS -- then there is question as to whether the changes are under the GPL, or under the specific license of the module/library/whatever. All said, I'm very interested to hear additional feedback on your query. Cheers, -Jeremy