LGPL?

[HarrisonM-SVL]

@sstaub

First off, thanks for the updated features in Ethernet3, super useful!

For context, I'm working on a project using Ethernet3 that has the potential to be closed source, which is plausible with Ethernet and Ethernet2 (with some limitations related to documentation and binary distribution) due to their being licensed with the GNU Lesser Genera Public License.

Per Github's Documentation:

"You're under no obligation to choose a license. However, without a license, the default copyright laws apply, meaning that you retain all rights to your source code and no one may reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from your work."

TLDR: I think that if there is no license provided with this repository, you reserve all the rights, and it can't be modified or redistributed (open-source or closed) without your express permission.

Is it your intent for this library to be open-source? If this isn't your intent, whatever, none of my business. But if this is your intent, would you please consider selecting a license and adding it to this repository?

[sstaub]

The library is mainly based on Ethernet2. I forgot the license but it should the same as Ethernet2. Many parts of the library have unknown authors and license types even in the Arduino library. I will add it the next days.

[HarrisonM-SVL]

Much appreciated!

[HarrisonM-SVL]

@sstaub

Clarifying question. You mentioned in your licence.txt that it contains

"the gnu general public license, which covers the main body of the processing/arduino code (in general, all the stuff inside the 'app' and 'core' subfolders)."

And

"the gnu lesser general public license that covers the arduino core and libraries."

Are both of these licenses intended to apply to everything within the Ethernet3/src folder of this repository? (i.e. Does the library contain some code that is licensed under GPL, and some that is under LGPL?)

Or is the GPL meant to apply to the Arduino Core (which I don't think is included in this repository), and the LGPL to the Ethernet3 library?

I only ask because there are some differences between the 2 licenses, and I'm hashing out which one I need to use in a program that includes Ethernet3.

Edit: In short, it looks to me like the GPL does not allow for using Ethernet3 in proprietary software (as in my case). Whereas the LGPL does. Hence why I care about whether this repo uses both, or just one or the other.

[sstaub]

Some parts of the library have different license types, e.g. EthernetUdp3 have MIT license.

[HarrisonM-SVL]

Gotcha, so you're saying some parts of the Ethernet3 library have a GPL license, and some have a LGPL, which is why you put both?

[sstaub]

I take the license text from the Arduino library. I know it is chaotic but I can't change it.

[HarrisonM-SVL]

Thanks for your patience. When you say "Arduino Library" are you referring to older versions of the Ethernet Library such as those below?

https://github.com/adafruit/Ethernet2 https://github.com/arduino-libraries/Ethernet

[sstaub]

It is from Ethernet2

[HarrisonM-SVL]

Ok, per the license.txt you added to Ethernet3

"next, the gnu lesser general public license that covers the arduino core and libraries."

Given that Ethernet3 is a library, if I'm understanding the intent of your license correctly, I can assume that Ethernet3 is a library licensed under the LGPL. Is that correct?