Discussion:
[Matplotlib-users] License, freetype
CAB
2017-02-17 20:45:37 UTC
Permalink
Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3.  My reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program would fall under the GPL3 license.  I'm sure that would be a non-starter for many, many projects.

Does anyone have any takes on this?

Chad
Paul Hobson
2017-02-17 22:52:31 UTC
Permalink
Chad,

My recollections is that matplotlib doesn't distribute the source code to
FreeType, it only uses it as a dependency. As such, MPL is in the clear
with its more permissive licensing.
-Paul
Post by CAB
Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency
called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3. My
reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a
compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program
would fall under the GPL3 license. I'm sure that would be a non-starter
for many, many projects.
Does anyone have any takes on this?
Chad
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Joe Kington
2017-02-17 23:03:01 UTC
Permalink
Well, if Freetype were only distributed under the GPL, you couldn't
distribute matplotlib in binary form without providing the source code.

However, Freetype is distributed under more than one license. (see:
https://www.freetype.org/license.html )

Because it's distributed under a BSD-style license in addition to the GPL,
it can be distributed in binary form, subject to an accreditation clause:
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/freetype/freetype2.git/tree/docs/FTL.TXT

In the past, I have gotten approval from corporate lawyers at a very large
company to use freetype (and matplotlib) in an application that was being
distributed in binary form. The dual-licensing of freetype was key in that
particular case.

Or that's my take on it, anyway. I'm not a Lawyer, so don't consider this
legal advice in any way.
Cheers!
-Joe
Post by Paul Hobson
Chad,
My recollections is that matplotlib doesn't distribute the source code to
FreeType, it only uses it as a dependency. As such, MPL is in the clear
with its more permissive licensing.
-Paul
Post by CAB
Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency
called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3. My
reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a
compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program
would fall under the GPL3 license. I'm sure that would be a non-starter
for many, many projects.
Does anyone have any takes on this?
Chad
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CAB
2017-02-18 14:24:17 UTC
Permalink
Hi, Gents,
Many thanks for your thoughtful responses!  Freetype is indeed available under a BSD-like licensse.  But when I tried to install freetype on my Windows system using the binary provided from GnuWin32, it attempts to force me to accept the GPL3, which I cannot.  Freetype's link to another binary supplied by GTK+ is broken.  So, I guess I have two choices; compile freetype from the source, or download something like Anaconda, which I'd rather not do because I have Python already installed.

If you have any other ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.
Best,Chad


From: Joe Kington <***@gmail.com>
To: Paul Hobson <***@gmail.com>
Cc: CAB <***@yahoo.com>; Matplotlib Development List <matplotlib-***@lists.sourceforge.net>; Matplotlib Users <matplotlib-***@lists.sourceforge.net>
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2017 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: [matplotlib-devel] [Matplotlib-users] License, freetype

Well, if Freetype were only distributed under the GPL, you couldn't distribute matplotlib in binary form without providing the source code.

However, Freetype is distributed under more than one license.  (see: https://www.freetype.org/license.html )

Because it's distributed under a BSD-style license in addition to the GPL, it can be distributed in binary form, subject to an accreditation clause: http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/freetype/freetype2.git/tree/docs/FTL.TXT

In the past, I have gotten approval from corporate lawyers at a very large company to use freetype (and matplotlib) in an application that was being distributed in binary form.  The dual-licensing of freetype was key in that particular case.

Or that's my take on it, anyway.  I'm not a Lawyer, so don't consider this legal advice in any way.
Cheers!
-Joe

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 4:52 PM, Paul Hobson <***@gmail.com> wrote:

Chad,
My recollections is that matplotlib doesn't distribute the source code to FreeType, it only uses it as a dependency. As such, MPL is in the clear with its more permissive licensing.-Paul
On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 12:45 PM, CAB <***@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3.  My reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program would fall under the GPL3 license.  I'm sure that would be a non-starter for many, many projects.

Does anyone have any takes on this?

Chad

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Paul Hobson
2017-02-18 16:20:55 UTC
Permalink
Especially on Windows, I always install freetype from conda.
-p
Post by CAB
Hi, Gents,
Many thanks for your thoughtful responses! Freetype is indeed available
under a BSD-like licensse. But when I tried to install freetype on my
Windows system using the binary provided from GnuWin32, it attempts to
force me to accept the GPL3, which I cannot. Freetype's link to another
binary supplied by GTK+ is broken. So, I guess I have two choices; compile
freetype from the source, or download something like Anaconda, which I'd
rather not do because I have Python already installed.
If you have any other ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.
Best,
Chad
------------------------------
*Sent:* Friday, February 17, 2017 5:03 PM
*Subject:* Re: [matplotlib-devel] [Matplotlib-users] License, freetype
Well, if Freetype were only distributed under the GPL, you couldn't
distribute matplotlib in binary form without providing the source code.
https://www.freetype.org/license.html )
Because it's distributed under a BSD-style license in addition to the GPL,
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/freetype/freetype2.git/tree/docs/FTL.TXT
In the past, I have gotten approval from corporate lawyers at a very large
company to use freetype (and matplotlib) in an application that was being
distributed in binary form. The dual-licensing of freetype was key in that
particular case.
Or that's my take on it, anyway. I'm not a Lawyer, so don't consider this
legal advice in any way.
Cheers!
-Joe
Chad,
My recollections is that matplotlib doesn't distribute the source code to
FreeType, it only uses it as a dependency. As such, MPL is in the clear
with its more permissive licensing.
-Paul
Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency
called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3. My
reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a
compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program
would fall under the GPL3 license. I'm sure that would be a non-starter
for many, many projects.
Does anyone have any takes on this?
Chad
------------------------------ ------------------------------
------------------
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engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/matplotlib-users>
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Goyo
2017-02-20 20:35:12 UTC
Permalink
I usually install the matplotlib binaries from pipy and I don't
remember doing a separate installation of freetype.
Post by Paul Hobson
Especially on Windows, I always install freetype from conda.
-p
Post by CAB
Hi, Gents,
Many thanks for your thoughtful responses! Freetype is indeed available
under a BSD-like licensse. But when I tried to install freetype on my
Windows system using the binary provided from GnuWin32, it attempts to force
me to accept the GPL3, which I cannot. Freetype's link to another binary
supplied by GTK+ is broken. So, I guess I have two choices; compile
freetype from the source, or download something like Anaconda, which I'd
rather not do because I have Python already installed.
If you have any other ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.
Best,
Chad
________________________________
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2017 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: [matplotlib-devel] [Matplotlib-users] License, freetype
Well, if Freetype were only distributed under the GPL, you couldn't
distribute matplotlib in binary form without providing the source code.
https://www.freetype.org/license.html )
Because it's distributed under a BSD-style license in addition to the GPL,
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/freetype/freetype2.git/tree/docs/FTL.TXT
In the past, I have gotten approval from corporate lawyers at a very large
company to use freetype (and matplotlib) in an application that was being
distributed in binary form. The dual-licensing of freetype was key in that
particular case.
Or that's my take on it, anyway. I'm not a Lawyer, so don't consider this
legal advice in any way.
Cheers!
-Joe
Chad,
My recollections is that matplotlib doesn't distribute the source code to
FreeType, it only uses it as a dependency. As such, MPL is in the clear with
its more permissive licensing.
-Paul
Hi, All,
I just went to install matplotlib version 2.0.0, and it has a dependency
called "freetype". This software appears to be licensed under GPL3. My
reading of that latter license is that, if someone wanted to distribute a
compiled version of a program requiring matplotlib, that entire program
would fall under the GPL3 license. I'm sure that would be a non-starter for
many, many projects.
Does anyone have any takes on this?
Chad
------------------------------ ------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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https://lists.sourceforge.net/ lists/listinfo/matplotlib-user s
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