Re: IBM's Jikes Java Compiler

[Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com>]

"Eric S. Raymond" <esr@thyrsus.com> writes:

> Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com>:
> > I'll attach the license at the end.  I don't think it's good enough
> > for Debian, because if your derivative program uses less than 60% of
> > the code, you lose the right to use their patents.
> 
> This license would pass DFSG, too, of course.

It's difficult reading through all the legal diarrhea in the license -
but it seems pretty clear to me that you lose all the rights
(redistribution, modification, patents) granted to you by the license
if you take a snippet of code (less than 60%) out of Jikes and try to
use it.

Although the DFSG/OSD is somewhat vague, that's clearly against the
original intent of this section:

    3. Derived Works
       The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must
       allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license
       of the original software.

Sure, the Jikes license does allow modifications and derived works -
but only if you meet the 60% rule.  So, in the general case, it fails
this condition of the DFSG/OSD.

Cheers,

 - Jim