GPL/LGPL-Licensed Dependencies In Kotlin?

Viewed 30

We have used Android's documentation to include open source notices in our app. After using this, an activity can be shown presumably listing all the open-source software (OSS) dependencies in our app. Clicking on any of these dependencies shows the relevant OSS license.

The problem:

In this list of OSS dependencies there is an entry titled Kotlin -- this is expected, since our project indeed uses Kotlin. The problem is that when clicking on this dependency, the license (which is very long, around 2000 lines long when opened in Notepad), indicates components which are licensed under copyleft licenses such as GPL, LGPL, NPL, EPL!

Here are a few excerpts:

Excerpt 1:

Files: kotlinc/lib/trove4j.jar

GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2.1, February 1999 [...]

Excerpt 2:

Files:

The version of Rhino used in GWT is licensed under a dual license, Netscape Public License 1.1 / GNU General Public License. [...]

Excerpt 3:

Files:

Eclipse Public License, Version 1.0 (EPL-1.0)

THE ACCOMPANYING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS ECLIPSE PUBLIC LICENSE ("AGREEMENT"). [...]

Questions:

  • In Excerpt 1 the LGPL-licensed file is kotlinc/lib/trove4j.jar but we cannot find what this means. What does this file do? And how can we remove it from our application, so that we are not restricted by the LGPL?
  • In Excerpt 2 there is a reference to Rhino used in GWT, but again, what does this mean? How can we remove it from our app so that we are not restricted by the NPL/GPL.
  • In Excerpt 3 the files which are allegedly covered by a copyleft license are not even shown. What do we need to do to remove this unknown copyleft dependency from our app?

... And The Most Important Question:

Because our app is proprietary, we do not want any copyleft OSS dependencies to sneak into our code. On the other hand, the dependency which brought reference to copyleft licenses is Kotlin... Surely many proprietary apps use Kotlin, without the need to open their code, right? What are we missing here? Could someone please help?

Edit:

In reference to @Tenfour04's comment: If these dependencies are irrelevant to our app (because they concern rebuilding the Kotlin Compiler, which we are not), is it legitimate to remove these texts (excerpts 1 to 3) from our app?

0 Answers
Related