[dev] Horde library license headers (notices from SUSE Legal) - please advise

Ralf Lang lang at b1-systems.de
Fri Aug 26 12:15:01 UTC 2011


Am Freitag, 26. August 2011, 13:44:01 schrieb Jan Schneider:
> Zitat von Ralf Lang <lang at b1-systems.de>:
> > Interim conclusion
> > 
> > (upstream = Horde, downstream = openSUSE Packaging)
> > 
> >> Hi folks,
> >> 
> >> the legal review team for the openSUSE rpms has pointed out some more
> >> inconsistencies in license headers of some files. Some look like obvious
> >> copy/paste errors, I'm not sure with others. Details follow. Please
> >> advise.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Bug 712230 - GPL license in Apache-1.0 licensed horde4-mnemo
> >> 
> >> The package is apparently ASL-1.0 licensed but this notice was found in
> >> lib/Application.php:
> >> 
> >> /**
> >> 
> >>  * Mnemo application API.
> >>  *
> >>  * This file defines Horde's core API interface. Other core Horde
> >>  libraries * can interact with Mnemo through this API.
> >>  *
> >>  * Copyright 2010-2011 The Horde Project (http://www.horde.org/)
> >>  *
> >>  * See the enclosed file COPYING for license information (GPL). If you
> >>  * did not receive this file, see http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html.
> >>  *
> >>  * @package Mnemo
> >>  */
> >> 
> >> There is no COPYING in the package. The GPL referred to in the link
> >> above is the GPL-3.0 which would be compatible with ASL-2.0 but not
> >> with ASL-1.0. Also, if the package does legitimately purport to include
> >> a GPL licensed Application.php, it should also contain a copy of the
> >> license.
> >> 
> >> Upstream should confirm if they really intended Application.php to be
> >> GPL-3.0 or if this was an error.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> STATUS: Resolved. I asked jan, he confirmed it's ASL and I changed in
> >> git.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> ---------------------------------------------
> >> 
> >> Summary: Canon.php from php5-pear-Horde_Image 1.0.4 contains GPL-2.0+
> >> license Horde Image.
> >> 
> >> Horde_Image is LGPL (supposedly v2.1?) but all files in Exif/Parser/ are
> >> copyright 2003 Jake Olefsky GPLv2 -
> >> https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=712242#c0
> >> 
> >> STATUS: Unsure.
> >> Please confirm if this is LGPL-2.1 or LGPL-3.0.
> >> Please confirm of the GPL headers can be removed.
> >> 
> >> They also want a license file included but I can do this locally in the
> >> rpm until we have decided if we ship license files with libraries
> >> (other thread)
> > 
> > This one is still uncommented.
> 
> Is this is a requirement for them, I'm fine with it. It's probably
> less hassle if we add it upstream.

That would be handy for me. 

It affects/has affected several packages.
They also have an automatic rpmlint check incorrect-fsf-address for outdated 
versions of the gpl/lgpl license files.

That's why it would be best to somehow inject the license files in the pear 
stage rather than having a lot of copies in git. (or is there something like 
svn:external in git?)

But the main blocker for Horde_Image is currently the Jake Olefsky GPL claim 
in Exif/Parser/* - nobody has commented if this is a valid claim or if this is 
wrong/outdated.

-- 
Ralf Lang
Linux Consultant / Developer

B1 Systems GmbH
Osterfeldstraße 7 / 85088 Vohburg / http://www.b1-systems.de
GF: Ralph Dehner / Unternehmenssitz: Vohburg / AG: Ingolstadt,HRB 3537


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