From koffice-devel  Sat Nov 30 16:51:41 2002
From: TJ Mather <tjmather () maxmind ! com>
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 16:51:41 +0000
To: koffice-devel
Subject: Re: libkspreadexport
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=koffice-devel&m=103867477016735

I've been re-reading the LGPL license, and I believe that the MS Excel 
plugin filter would be a "work that uses the Library", per section 5 of 
the LGPL:

  A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but 
  is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it, 
  is called a "work that uses the Library". Such a work, in isolation, is 
  not a derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls outside the 
  scope of this License. 

A "work that uses the Library" doesn't have to fall under the LGPL, as
long as you follow the terms in section 6.

Therefore, I would submit that the following would work (from a licensing 
standpoint):

+--------------------+
|   QT Libraries     |
|   QPL License      |
+--------------------+
         |
       Linked
         |
+--------------------+
|   KDElibs/KSpread  |
|   LPGL License     |
+--------------------+
         |
       Linked
         |
+--------------------+
|   libkspreadexport |
|   (LPGL???)*       |
+--------------------+
         |
  Loadable Module, plugin API
         |
+--------------------+
|   MS Excel Filter  | Combined work falls under ASL License, compatible
|    BSD License     | with LGPL as "work that uses the Library"
+--------------------+ b/c it contains no kspread/LGPL code.
         |
       Linked
         |
+--------------------+
| Apache POI Library |
|   ASL License      |
+--------------------+

Thanks,
-TJ

* License for libkspreadexport not determined yet.  The LGPL would be 
compatible, the GPL would not be compatible.  Fred Malabre will make the 
decision of which license to use, since it is his code.

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