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?
