Re: [Jython-dev] Jython license and GPL incompatibility

[<bc...@wo...>]

[Ben Burton]

>Hi.  I'm currently looking at packaging Jython for debian and I'm wondering 
>what the current status is with the Jython license.  At the moment it seems 
>the Jython license is incompatible with the GPL.

Correct, I think.

>According to the FSF website 
>(http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html):
>
>The License of Python 1.6b1 and later versions, through 2.0 and 2.1. 
>This is a free software license but is incompatible with the GNU GPL. The 
>primary incompatibility is that this Python license is governed by the laws 
>of the State of Virginia, in the USA, and the GPL does not permit this.
>
>The license for Jython, as found on www.jython.org and in the CVS, currently 
>contains this GPL-incompatible clause.  CPython has recently altered their 
>license to make CPython compatible with the GPL 
>(http://www.python.org/2.0.1/).
>
>Is Jython likely to follow suit?

I somehow doubt it.

Not only must CNRI be prepared to release their JPython-1.1 code with a
changed license, but they must also be able to actually create a new release.
It is not my impression that any of the fine people working at CNRI have the
tools or experience to create a JPython-1.1.1 release.

Even if is 10 times easier for jython to change license that it was for
python, I still think it will be 100 times too much work for me to tackle.

regards,
finn