Apache License & LGPL Compatible
Hi,
Under what conditions are the Apache License & LGPL licenses compatible?
I'm working on developing an Excel export filter for KSpread, a
spreadsheet program that is part of KDE's KOffice. We want to use the
Apache POI library, and we would like to get clarification on whether the
licenses are compatible. Here is a list of the components and their
licenses:
* QT (dual GPL/QPL would pick QPL in this case since GPL is not compatible
with Apache License)
* KDE/KSpread (LGPL)
* Apache POI library (Apache Software License)
The Apache POI library would essentially work as a plugin filter to the
KSpread library. That is KSpread would have a libkspreadexport LGPL
library that would have callbacks that a plugin would supply. In no way
would the LGPL KSpread export library depend on the POI filter, that is
any number of filters could be chosen to export a KSpread file.
Would it be OK to write a dynamically loadable module that is based on the
Apache Licensed POI that can be used as a plugin for the LGPL
KSpread export filter library?
Thanks,
TJ
P.S. Here is the relevant thread on the KOffice-devel mailing list:
http://lists.kde.org/?t=103837803300001&r=1&w=2
P.S.S. I read here that the LGPL is incompatible with the Apache license:
http://jakarta.apache.org/avalon/developing/conclusion.html
It seems pretty clear that you can't take LGPL code an include it in a
Apache licensed project. However, can you take Apache licensed code and
include it in a LGPL project?
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