[development] Modules that integrate non-GPL PHP apps violate theGPL.

[FGM]

A commonly held view is that this is possible if, and only if, 
- they integrate using web services, and not direct invocations: it's
commonly known as the "web services loophole". I don't agree with the
FSF's interpretation that invoking independent PHP scripts
constitutes linking, but that appears to be their stance.
- the GPL is version 2, not 3 (to be clarified for GPL3: there was
discussion about closing that loophole during the GPL3 design)

---- Original Message ----
From: jeff at viapositiva.net
To: development at drupal.org
Subject: RE: [development] Modules that integrate non-GPL PHP apps
violate theGPL.
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:08:56 -0500

>For quite some time, it has been commonly understood in the Drupal  
>community that non-GPL software (like a third-party PHP message board
> 
>system) can be integrated into Drupal legally by using an  
>intermediary 'bridge' module. After some in-depth emails with the  
>Free Software foundation's license gurus, it's become clear that this
> 
>is NOT the case.
>
>Before going any further, I want to make clear that I'm not  
>expressing approval or disapproval of this: I'm just relaying the  
>conclusions that were reached after several days of discussion and  
>questioning with the FSF.
>
>Why do these modules violate the GPL?
>
>1) Under the FSF's accepted interpretation of the GPL, if a module is
> 
>integrating Drupal and another PHP script, by calling one's APIs when
> 
>triggered by the other for example, its purpose is to make a single  
>unit of software out of those parts.
>
>2) If multiple programs are operating together and functioning as one
> 
>unit, all the pieces must be GPL'd.
>
>There are a lot of angles to approach the question from, but that's  
>what it boils down to. From a developer's perspective, if  
>debug_backtrace() can ever include functions from both Drupal and an 
>
>external program, you've turned them into a single program.
>
>There are some potential solutions, though none of them are ideal.
>
>1) Add a notice to Drupal's license that clarifies that writing such 
>
>modules IS explicitly allowed. This is problematic, however, because 
>
>that would make Drupal non-GPL'd itself, a GPL variant, and we would 
>
>require explicit relicensing permission by the authors of any GPL  
>code we wish to include.
>
>2) Remove modules that integrate with third-party non-GPL code from  
>the CVS repository, even if they do not *include* the aforementioned 
>
>non-GPL code.
>
>3) Continue on as we are, and don't try to police these issues as  
>there are NOT likely to be any real complaints. (No one that I know  
>of is trying to SELL modules that integrate with non-GPL resources,  
>for example.)
>
>This is an important question for us, and other GPL'd projects, to  
>work through. Many GPL CMS's rely on integration components for  
>critical functionality (message boards and mass mailing are two  
>common examples). I can provide some detailed snippets from the  
>correspondence to those who want them, but I'm not sure it would be  
>useful for me to spend any more time corresponding. I exhausted my  
>list of questions, and I'm just summarizing what I found out.
>
>--Jeff