[Fedora-legal-list] ChemDoodle Web Components license

[Tom "spot" Callaway]

On 11/12/2009 05:57 AM, Gianluca Sforna wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm having a look at packaging ChemDoodle Web Components, a Javascript
> set of classes to manage chemical structures in web pages.
> Now, the license is GPLv3+ but they have an additional exception detailed in:
> http://web.chemdoodle.com/installation.php#license
> 
> """
> As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes
> function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by
> reference, shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes.
> If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version
> of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to
> do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
> 
> This means that your websites do NOT need to be released under GPL
> even if you call the ChemDoodle Web Components library.
> """
> 
> Now the questions:
> 1. Isn't that exception just redundant? I can't really see how an HTML
> could ever be considered a derivative work of some javascript code

Probably, but it isn't harmful.

> 2. in case it is really relevant, what should be put in the License
> filed of the spec file?

# Exception to GPLv3:
# As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes
# function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by
# reference, shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes.
# If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version
# of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to
# do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
License: GPLv3+ with exceptions

~spot