Re: [Hebmorph-thinktank] HebMorph patch

[kirillkh <kir...@gm...>]

2011/6/10 Efraim Feinstein <efr...@gm...>

> On 06/09/2011 10:27 PM, kirillkh wrote:
> > Hi Efraim,This is not what I was asking about at all. Rather, my
> > question was: can I distribute closed-source software that requires
> > HebMorph for its functions (provided that I disclose HebMorph's
> > license and distribute its source code)? You seem to imply that the
> > answer to that question is a simple 'yes'. But that is not the case.
> > The issue here is that GPL not only requires distributing the source
> > code of the software together with the binaries, but it also requires
> > distributing the source code of any "derivative work" of the software,
> > where "derivative work" is defined as anything linking to the
> > software. Simply put, if your program uses HebMorph as a library, your
> > program must be GPL too. On the other hand, if your program just works
> > with Solr, then you are *not* linking to it directly and, as a result,
> > are not required to GPL your own program.
> >
> > Still, some questions remain:
> > 1. Are you even allowed to distribute Lucene+HebMorph+(your
> > open-source software), considering Lucene is not GPL?
>
> Itamar can probably speak more to this: As far as I can tell, there is a
> licensing compatibility issue here. Lucene is Apache 2 and Hebmorph is
> currently GPL2 *only*. GPL2 is incompatible with Apache 2, GPL3 is
> compatible <http://www.apache.org/licenses/GPL-compatibility.html>,
> making any distribution of binary linked software an issue because
> hebmorph won't work without being linked to Lucene. I doubt this was
> intended.
>
> It may or may not be an issue if you distribute the source code and *no*
> binaries, depending on how you interpret section 2b.
>
> > 2. ... rather, it links to a generic "Analyzer" API, which it provides
> > itself. Does this mean that a closed-source program is allowed use
> > Lucene+HebMorph?
>
> Wouldn't Lucene then be linked to Hebmorph as a library, and your
> program linked to Lucene, making your program linked to Hebmorph?
>
This is not so clear-cut, because the linking here is loose at best, and
certainly not a direct one. To give you a perspective, some people even
argue that regular dynamic linking does not comprise a derivative work. I
don't really want to go any deeper into these technicalities, because they
are meaningless when the intent is to disallow all forms of commercial usage
(after all, the authors may change the license and/or stop the development
any day, and no one wants to use abandoned software).

-Kirill