Bug#750643: antlr: missing licence for PyANTLR

[Thorsten Glaser]

wolfgang haefelinger dixit:

>Allright, so what is the procedure now to use
>http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html?

⇒ generic part

As copyright owner, all you have to do is to ensure that
the people distributing antlr include a LICENSE.txt file
in the Python subdirectory of their distribution which
states this fact.

You should also specify which version(s) of the licence.
For example:
• GPL version 1 only
• GPL version 1 or later
• GPL version 2 only
• GPL version 2 or later
• GPL version 3 only
• GPL version 3 or later

The “only” ones lead to interoperability problems, so
I suggest an “or later” version, as your software is
something usually combined with other code, i.e. a
library of sorts.

Using the GNU GPL will also make (the Python part of)
antlr incompatible with licences such as the EPL, which
are unfortunately common in the Java™ world. That being
said, I do not know why the antlr *.jar file includes
the Python code, as it does not need to. If the antlr
upstream distributes the binary *.jar file with it, this
will not be a problem.

⇒ Debian part

The Debian package maintainers can add the relevant
information, and possibly separate the Python part from
the Java™ part, by themselves, if you notify them of
this decision of yours (i.e. to use the GPL and which
versions). For this, replying to the Debian bug eMail
address is enough.

Of course, Debian would want to stay in sync with
upstream on this.

⇒ Upstream part

Please contact the people who develop antlr 2.x and
notify them of your decision, and ask them to release
an updated antlr version including the licence file,
and to prominently state this erratum on their website.

⇒ Other antlr versions

I’ve only looked at antlr 2.x (since coworkers at the
dayjob wanted to use this in a project of theirs, and
since it is in Debian). If antlr 3.x and/or 4.x also
include your code, please notify the people developing
those as well.


Thanks,
//mirabilos
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