ChemDoodle Web Components license

[Gianluca Sforna]

Hi,
I'm having a look at packaging ChemDoodle Web Components, a Javascript
set of classes to manage chemical structures in web pages.
Now, the license is GPLv3+ but they have an additional exception detailed in:
http://web.chemdoodle.com/installation.php#license

"""
As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes
function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by
reference, shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes.
If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version
of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to
do so, delete this exception statement from your version.

This means that your websites do NOT need to be released under GPL
even if you call the ChemDoodle Web Components library.
"""

Now the questions:
1. Isn't that exception just redundant? I can't really see how an HTML
could ever be considered a derivative work of some javascript code
2. in case it is really relevant, what should be put in the License
filed of the spec file?

TIA

G.

[Tom Callaway]

On 11/12/2009 05:57 AM, Gianluca Sforna wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm having a look at packaging ChemDoodle Web Components, a Javascript
> set of classes to manage chemical structures in web pages.
> Now, the license is GPLv3+ but they have an additional exception detailed in:
> http://web.chemdoodle.com/installation.php#license
>
> """
> As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes
> function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by
> reference, shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes.
> If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version
> of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to
> do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
>
> This means that your websites do NOT need to be released under GPL
> even if you call the ChemDoodle Web Components library.
> """
>
> Now the questions:
> Isn't that exception just redundant? I can't really see how an HTML
>
> could ever be considered a derivative work of some javascript code

Probably, but it isn't harmful.
> in case it is really relevant, what should be put in the License
>
> filed of the spec file?

# Exception to GPLv3:
# As a special exception to the GPL, any HTML file which merely makes
# function calls to this code, and for that purpose includes it by
# reference, shall be deemed a separate work for copyright law purposes.
# If you modify this code, you may extend this exception to your version
# of the code, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to
# do so, delete this exception statement from your version.
License: GPLv3+ with exceptions

~spot