Re: [xml] The MIT License -> GPL?

[Daniel Veillard <veillard redhat com>]

On Fri, Aug 06, 2004 at 04:15:11PM -0400, Bob Rossi wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I noticed that libxml is under the MIT license. I want to use libxml in
> a GPL'd program, keeping the program under the GPL completely. I noticed

  The MIT licence is compatible with the GPL, i.e. you can link an MIT
Licenced library to a GPL program, best example are all desktop applications
on Linux which are linked against the X11 libraries which are under the
MIT Licence. Normal use of the library are just fine with the MIT licence
in general.

> in the MIT license that there is the permission to sublicense. Does this
> mean that I can take the library and then license it under the GPL?

  Sublicence is not relicencing. You cannot do this, well I don't think so,
and I would call this a fork considered hostile in my view. Do not do this
this is foolish, I see no reason for this, this brings nothing to this
project, I would take it quite personally as an attack, you're warned !
  
> Does libxml come under the GPL also?

  No.
  The MIT licence is the one the authors collectively selected, you didn't
develop that code, but you're entitled to use it as the Licence permits.
If you really can't use libxml2 within the framework defined by the MIT
licence (if yes, then why) then use another XML library.

Daniel

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veillard redhat com  | libxml GNOME XML XSLT toolkit  http://xmlsoft.org/
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