[antlr-interest] ANTLR v3 compatible with GPL?

[Scott Amort]

Hi Anthony and Michael,

Anthony Youngman wrote:
> So to sum up. Antlr is under the BSD. ONLY TER CAN CHANGE THAT. If I mix
> it with GPL software, I must then treat it AS IF the entire thing was
> licenced under the GPL. The BSD licence gives me the rights I need to do
> that, so there is no problem.
> 
> On Aug 15, 2006, at 1:34 PM, Micheal J wrote:
>> Not if you link to the ANTLR v3 binaries. Only if you wish to  
>> include the
>> ANTLR v3 sources in a GPL'ed program. You need to re-license to  
>> satisfy the
>> GPL requirement that all derivative works (of a GPL-licensed work)  
>> must also
>> be GPL. Actually that should be "must also be available under the  
>> GPL". They
>> may be simultaneously available under other licenses.
> 
> I will also point out that one must keep my BSD copyright in any  
> source code and if in binary distribution I think in the manual or  
> whatever...I don't think you can relicense a BSD as GPL.  What would  
> it mean to have two licenses in a single file?

Thanks for the clarification!  It does seem that my use of the term 
're-license' was incorrect.  However, what I do understand to be true is 
that if I use ANTLR in a GPL application that is distributed, the 
"complete work" is governed under this section of the GPL:

     2b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that
     in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
     part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
     parties under the terms of this License.

And this does include linking to the ANTLR library.  The code generated 
by the ANTLR executable is not subject to a license, but linking to the 
runtime library makes it part of my GPL program as far as the FSF is 
concerned.  Although it is certainly debated (I set off an interesting 
thread asking about this situation elsewhere), I must then be able to 
apply the GPL license requirements to the ANTLR library as well (i.e. be 
able to distribute the source).  And, it is possible to do so and 
satisfy both the GPL and ANTLR's BSD license.  But, if ANTLR were 
otherwise licensed, say by the 'original' BSD, then I could no longer 
use it in my GPL program because I could not satisfy the requirements of 
both licenses.

Now I understand why I didn't go to law school!

Best,
Scott