[GenABEL-dev] Apache license

[L.C. Karssen]

Dear Yurii,

I did some quick research on the Apache license (v2.0) vs. the GPL and I
found that the Apache license is considered compatible with GPLv3, but
not with GPLv2, under which the present code in the GenABEL suite is
licensed [1]. According to Ref [2] "(...) the GPL version 3 is
considered a superset of the Apache License 2.0, a project combining GPL
version 3 and Apache License 2.0 code will need to be licensed under the
GPL version 3". So I think that it boils down to how we define the
GenABEL suite, is it one project containing code with multiple licenses,
or is each of the packages considered a project by its own, in which
case each can have its own license. The last option seems to reflect the
present situation best, since many of the various components can be used
independently. 

A second thing to consider is that "The Apache License (...) does not
require modified versions of the software to be distributed using the
same license (in contrast to copyleft licenses)" [2]. This opens up the
possibility for someone to use (that part of te GenABEL suite) in a
closed source product, effectively abusing the GenABEL community, which
you talk about in your mail (the GPL allows for this too, but then one
is not allowed to distribute the software).

Incidentally, both the GPL and the Apache license are considered free
software/open source licenses with approval by various groups like the
FSF, OSI, Debian project, etc. [3].


In short, it seems to me that incorporating a project with an Apache
License presents no legal problem (but IANAL). Whether the Apache
License fits with your (and my) views on free software licensing is a
slightly different matter, that needs a bit more research. I don't know
if the Apache License allows re-releasing of the (same) code under the
GPL (v3?) license. Having one license for all GenABEL components also
seems to be most practical from a management point of view. Note that
licence changes are cumbersome because all contributors need to be
contacted and asked for permission.

I'm curious to hear the opinions of other GenABEL devs as well.


Best regards,

Lennart Karssen. 


[1] http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_License
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_free_software_licenses

On di, 2011-10-18 at 23:33 +0700, Yury Aulchenko wrote:
> Dear All,
> 
> 
> As you know, all GenABEL suite packages are currently released under
> the GNU GPL license.
> 
> 
> I wonder if all of us would be ok with including a package under the
> Apache license in the suite. My feeling is that (as expressed
> in http://www.genabel.org/open_source_methodology) in general a
> license should prevent a situation when GenABEL project community
> would have been "used" without any benefit (the benefit of using a
> software resulting [partly] due to their effort for free, the benefit
> of using this code for future projects). To prevent such situation, I
> thought that any acceptable license should declare the source code is
> open, allow for people to distribute it and modify it, and
> redistribute the modified code. 
> 
> 
> It seems to me (is that correct?) that Apache license complies to
> these requirements.
> 
> 
> So, I wonder if everybody would be OK with Apache license for some
> prospective GenABEL package.
> 
> 
> with best wishes,
> Yurii
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Yurii Aulchenko, PhD, Dr. Habil.
> Independent researcher and consultant
> yurii [dot] aulchenko [at] gmail [dot] com
> 
> 
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> genabel-devel at lists.r-forge.r-project.org
> https://lists.r-forge.r-project.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/genabel-devel

-- 
-----------------------------------------------
L.C. Karssen
Erasmus MC
Department of Epidemiology
Room Ee 2224

Postbus 2040
3000 CA Rotterdam
The Netherlands

phone: +31-10-7044217
fax: +31-10-7044657
e-mail: l.karssen at erasmusmc.nl
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