[Boost-users] Re: License compatibility issues.

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-04-01 10:23:16

Cromwell Enage <sponage_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Good morning.
>
>>From previous posts regarding the License, I'm
> assuming the Legal Team 

What is that? ;-)

> is on this mailing list; if not, please direct me to them.

We have some lawyers who have *volunteered* to help us, but I don't
think they want to be contacted directly by Boost users in general.  I
suppose that if that's not true they'll let us know.

Further, it seems as though you (and several other people) should get
your own lawyer to answer some of the questions being asked, as they
are not directly related to Boost, and they require legal expertise
to answer with authority.

> Scenario I:
> I'm building a library that uses the Boost libraries
> (the ones covered by the current Boost Software
> License) and the Simple DirectMedia Layer, which is
> distributed under the terms of the GNU "Lesser" Public
> License <http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lgpl.html>.  Can
> I release my library under the Boost Software License?

I am not qualified to comment on what's permissible for you to do with
code licensed under the LGPL.  You should be asking someone on the GNU
project, or preferably, a lawyer.

>  Can I release it under the GNU LGPL?  

Only if that doesn't violate the license terms of the Boost libraries
you've used (**).  Trying to interpret whether that's the case or
not is certainly beyond me (IANAL).  It seems to me that we can't ask
our volunteer lawyers to draw up a list of answers to all the possible
licensing questions along these lines, nor can we reasonably make them
available as an on-demand resource for answering boost users' legal
questions.

> Or can I not release it at all?

> Scenario II:
> I plan on building an application that uses the Boost
> libraries (the ones covered by the current Boost
> Software License) and the FOX GUI Toolkit, which is
> distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public
> License.  According to
> <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfLibraryIsGPL>,
> if I publicly distribute my application (e.g. via
> SourceForge.net), I must do so using the GNU GPL,
> since the FOX Toolkit is distributed under that
> license.  Will the Boost Software License allow me to
> do this?

This question falls into a similar category.  The terms of the Boost
license should be reasonably easy to understand.  You can make your
own determination by analyzing the words, or (better), you can get
the advice of a legal professional.

** and note that not all Boost libraries are using the Boost Software
   License (yet); for now you need to examine the notices in each
   library you use/distribute.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com