JDK 10 RFR of JDK-8193208: Add additional licensing file for the JDK

[Volker Simonis]

Hi Joe,

if Oracle takes this so seriously, can you please also comment on
Monika's recent mail [1].

It seems that several Java files which have been added recently are
missing the Classpath Exception in their license header.

Thank you and best regards,
Volker

[1] http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/jdk-dev/2017-December/000383.html


On Thu, Dec 14, 2017 at 6:56 AM, joe darcy <joe.darcy at oracle.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> FYI, please review the ADDITIONAL_LICENSE_INFO file (patch below), to live
> alongside the existing license-related files at the top level of the JDK
> repo, which clarifies the licensing of non-GPL components of the JDK.
>
> Cheers,
>
> -Joe
>
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/ADDITIONAL_LICENSE_INFO
> @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
> +                      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT LICENSING
> +
> +Certain files distributed by Oracle America, Inc. and/or its affiliates are
> +subject to the following clarification and special exception to the GPLv2,
> +based on the GNU Project exception for its Classpath libraries, known as
> the
> +GNU Classpath Exception.
> +
> +Note that Oracle includes multiple, independent programs in this software
> +package.  Some of those programs are provided under licenses deemed
> +incompatible with the GPLv2 by the Free Software Foundation and others.
> +For example, the package includes programs licensed under the Apache
> +License, Version 2.0 and may include FreeType. Such programs are licensed
> +to you under their original licenses.
> +
> +Oracle facilitates your further distribution of this package by adding the
> +Classpath Exception to the necessary parts of its GPLv2 code, which permits
> +you to use that code in combination with other independent modules not
> +licensed under the GPLv2. However, note that this would not permit you to
> +commingle code under an incompatible license with Oracle's GPLv2 licensed
> +code by, for example, cutting and pasting such code into a file also
> +containing Oracle's GPLv2 licensed code and then distributing the result.
> +
> +Additionally, if you were to remove the Classpath Exception from any of the
> +files to which it applies and distribute the result, you would likely be
> +required to license some or all of the other code in that distribution
> under
> +the GPLv2 as well, and since the GPLv2 is incompatible with the license
> terms
> +of some items included in the distribution by Oracle, removing the
> Classpath
> +Exception could therefore effectively compromise your ability to further
> +distribute the package.
> +
> +Failing to distribute notices associated with some files may also create
> +unexpected legal consequences.
> +
> +Proceed with caution and we recommend that you obtain the advice of a
> lawyer
> +skilled in open source matters before removing the Classpath Exception or
> +making modifications to this package which may subsequently be
> redistributed
> +and/or involve the use of third party software.
>