[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #16898: Fix plugins about page license requirement

[WordPress Trac]

#16898: Fix plugins about page license requirement
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 Reporter:  scribu              |       Owner:
     Type:  feature request     |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal              |   Milestone:  WordPress.org
Component:  WordPress.org site  |     Version:
 Severity:  normal              |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                      |
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Comment (by Otto42):

 Replying to [comment:25 mikeschinkel]:
 > I'm pretty sure that Matt asserts that to be incorrect:
 http://wordpress.org/news/2009/07/themes-are-gpl-too/ ''(Matt please
 correct me if I misinterpreted.)''  My memory is that people have claimed
 stronger arguments for themes being GPL than for plugins so this
 requirement for plugins to only be GPLv2 and themes being able to be GPLv3
 is a bit inconsistent.

 I agree. Therefore the correct action would be to eliminate all GPLv3 code
 from the themes repository and enforce the GPLv2-compatible licensing
 there as well.

 > However, rather than discuss abstract scenarios can we discuss specific
 use-cases as to why this becomes a real issue?

 You can discuss them all you like, but here's the thing: You are not
 required to have your code in the WordPress.org repository. If the
 requirements are suitable for you and your code, then don't put it in the
 repository. Release it on your own website instead.

 > "**[http://code.google.com/p/google-api-php-client/ Google's Official
 APIs Client Library for PHP]**" is licensed by Apache 2.0.  And I'm pretty
 sure we'd consider Google's API to be less than insignificant in the world
 of web infrastructure.

 Having used Google's code, and then reimplemented it without their
 library, I can say that being unable to use their libraries is truly the
 greatest gift to programmers everywhere.

 I'd rather poke my own eyes out with a dull stick than try to use Google's
 libraries ever again. Seriously, awful.

 > I'm as close to 100% sure as I can be that your statement does not apply
 to Google's desire related to their Official APIs Client Library for PHP.
 Instead Google was almost certainly and ironically attempting to provide
 as much flexibility in use of their APIs as possible.

 And yet they used an incompatible license. Ain't that a B?

 I would suggest to Google that perhaps using a strongly restrictive
 license such as "Apache 2.0" might not be the best way to get their
 libraries widely used in other projects.

 Of course, I don't know. Maybe that is their goal? Who can say for
 certain. Regardless, I wouldn't use their library code because of the
 restrictions the Apache 2.0 license places upon me as a developer.

 > 3.) **Remove existing plugins** that use non-GPLv2 compatible licenses
 from the repository and ignore Google and other vendor's Apache 2.0
 licenses and anyone who might need to use one of them.

 We do this already. We do this *daily*, when we find plugins that have
 incompatible licensing.

 This really isn't a new situation, by any means.

 If you find a non-GPLv2-compatible plugin, then tell us, and it *will* be
 de-listed from the repository. The authors will be emailed and asked to
 fix it. If they do so, then it will be re-listed.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/16898#comment:26>
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