Bug#618968: netgen: links with both GPL-licensed and GPL-incompatible libraries

[Francesco Poli (wintermute)]

Package: netgen
Version: 4.9.12.dfsg-1
Severity: serious
Justification: Policy 2.2.1


Hello again Debian Science Maintainers,
thanks for maintaining netgen in Debian!

This package is released under the terms of the GNU LGPL v2 or later.
However, it links with various ffmpeg libraries, which are under the
GNU LGPL v2.1 or later with various files under the GNU GPL v2 or
later [1]. This means that ffmpeg libraries are effectively under
the GNU GPL (v2 or later).

[1] http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/f/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_0.6.1-5/copyright

But package netgen also links with libopencascade-*-6.3.0, which is
released under the terms of the (GPL-incompatible) OCTPL v6.3

I would say that netgen (the binary package) is currently
undistributable, as it links with both GPL-licensed
libraries and a GPL-incompatible one.

This licensing issue is partially similar to bug #617613 [2].

[2] http://bugs.debian.org/617613

What follows is a list of the possible solutions I see, in descending
order of desirability:

 (A) Open CASCADE S.A.S. should be contacted and persuaded to
re-license Open CASCADE Technology under GPLv2-compatible terms.

 (B) Open CASCADE Technology should be substituted with a
GPLv2-compatible replacement, if any is available.

 (C) the copyright holders for GPL-licensed files included in ffmpeg
should be asked to re-license those files under the GNU LGPL v2.1 or
later, as the rest of ffmpeg.

As explained in bug #617613 [2], I am pushing in the direction of
solution (A), but I need help in persuading Open CASCADE S.A.S. to
switch to the GNU LGPL v2.1: hence, once again, please join me in this
persuasion effort!

Thanks for any help you can provide.