Re: GOffice licensing problem

J.M. Maurer wrote:
> There is one more issue holding up 2.6.0: the inclusion of goffice code
> in our tree. This makes us as a whole GPLv2 only, since goffice code is
> GPLv2 (not GPLv2+).
>
> This means we can't include our math plugin anymore in combination with
> the lastest GtkMathView release for example, since that is GPLv3.
>
> As I see it, we have 4 options:
>
> 1) There is no problem, just accept that we can not use GLPv3 code. If
> that means no more equations, so be it.
> 2) Have (parts of) goffice relicensed to GPLv2+ (which Jody thinks might
> be doable). I saw Red Hat as copyright owner for parts, so this might
> take more time than we'd like.
> 3) Ditch the goffice bits, and just add a dynamic dependency on
> libgoffice (this will also make the goffice plugin we ship work properly
> again iirc). I think this will be a unix only dep.
> 4) As far as I can see (just had a quick look, please correct me), we
> only include goffice code for a single color picker widget. We can ditch
> that, and just use the stock (and uglier) gtk color picker.
>

I think there are really only two options here; either we can get the
gpl2-only code relicensed, or we have to completely ditch any and all of
it; we simply cannot afford to have any GPL2-only licenced code in
AbiWord for the long term, if for no other reason, then because we can
expect FSF to eventually move to using GPL-3 for all of the projects it
holds copyright on (which, if I am not mistaken, inludes wv).

I share Marc's concerns about speed with which the relicensing could be
achieved, but we will not know unless we try. As for the other option,
it would be unpleasant, but ut_go_file.cpp is about 2000 LOC, and it is
primarily a wrapper around glib and libgsf functionality, so it is not
irreplaceable.

Tomas
Received on Mon Nov 26 10:21:37 2007