[jbosstools-dev] About using 3rd party code in JBoss Tools

[Max Rydahl Andersen]

Hi,

Since we've had a few recent questions/incidents concerning usage of 3rd party code in JBoss Tools i'm sending out this again ;)

Remember it all depends on the license of the thing you are copying from and what you
are copying it to. The rules are hard to summarize, but as a general rule we should do:

1. ALWAYS look at the license of where you are copying from and see if it is compatible with the license the relevant plugin is under,  if in doubt raise the question on jbosstools dev.

2. (required) Copied code must contain original comment with links to license or html/text file with license text.

3. If you are using EPL code in a LGPL project (the plugins from before Exadel is still LGPL, e.g. hibernate tools) you should
  put the code in a directory named .xpl in the end and this code is not allowed to call back to the LGPL project (the EPL code must be independent)

In general Mozilla, ASL is ok to use as long as #2 is obeyed above.

CPL, EPL and LGPL is fine as long as we obey #2 and #3 above.

GPL is not possible to use directly from our plugins because of the virality of GPL.

BSD can be used directly.

..but do remember, if in doubt raise it at jbosstools dev.

Thus anything outside ASL, CPL, EPL and LGPL or in doubt -> raise it on jbosstools dev!

-- 
/max