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License implications for clients using the MediaWiki API

acceptable usage policy?

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Trond Olsen

29 Apr 2008 29 Apr '08

9:30 a.m.

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment? Regards, Trond Olsen.

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Roan Kattouw

29 Apr 29 Apr

9:36 a.m.

Trond Olsen schreef:

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment?

You mean to ask whether the fact that the articles are GPLed will necessitate the client to be GPLed too? I'm pretty sure it doesn't. For instance, the MediaWiki software is GPLed, which affects changing it and distributing it, but not *using* it: it's perfectly OK to use MediaWiki to manage non-GPL content (in fact, many non-Wikimedia wikis use a Creative Commons license). In much the same way, it's OK for non-GPL programs to query the (GPLed) API. Roan Kattouw (Catrope)

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Magnus Manske

8:11 p.m.

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:36 AM, Roan Kattouw <roan.kattouw(a)home.nl> wrote:

Trond Olsen schreef:

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment?

You mean to ask whether the fact that the articles are GPLed will necessitate the client to be GPLed too? I'm pretty sure it doesn't. For instance, the MediaWiki software is GPLed, which affects changing it and distributing it, but not *using* it: it's perfectly OK to use MediaWiki to manage non-GPL content (in fact, many non-Wikimedia wikis use a Creative Commons license). In much the same way, it's OK for non-GPL programs to query the (GPLed) API.

Note, however, that if the data you get from the API is derived from GFDL articles, as in the case of Wikipedia, that this data is also under the GFDL. Magnus

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Trond Olsen

30 Apr 30 Apr

6:26 a.m.

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:36 AM, Roan Kattouw <roan.kattouw(a)home.nl> wrote:

Trond Olsen schreef: > Hi, > > I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a > web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and

possible

other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment?

You mean to ask whether the fact that the articles are GPLed will necessitate the client to be GPLed too? I'm pretty sure it doesn't. For instance, the MediaWiki software is GPLed, which affects changing it

and

distributing it, but not *using* it: it's perfectly OK to use MediaWiki to manage non-GPL content (in fact, many non-Wikimedia wikis use a Creative Commons license). In much the same way, it's OK for non-GPL programs to query the (GPLed) API.

Note, however, that if the data you get from the API is derived from GFDL articles, as in the case of Wikipedia, that this data is also under the GFDL. Magnus <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api>

My plans for MediaWiki is using it to store XML configuration data and possible use it for serving tutorials/articles etc to be presented in the web-application. Trond.

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Platonides

29 Apr 29 Apr

9:40 p.m.

Trond Olsen wrote:

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment? Regards, Trond Olsen.

If you're using the mediawiki api internally (running it on the server), you're linking to the program and the viric clause applies. If you're using a different client, it's an inter-process comunication, thus the client doesn't need to be gpl. Anyway, a gpl client wouldn't hurt in any way your project (it could even support it). IANAL, don't take my word on it, and so on.

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Trond Olsen

30 Apr 30 Apr

6:24 a.m.

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:40 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Trond Olsen wrote:

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the client program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment? Regards, Trond Olsen.

If you're using the mediawiki api internally (running it on the server), you're linking to the program and the viric clause applies. If you're using a different client, it's an inter-process comunication, thus the client doesn't need to be gpl. Anyway, a gpl client wouldn't hurt in any way your project (it could even support it). IANAL, don't take my word on it, and so on.

The setup is: Wiki is run on the same server (domain) where the web-client (javascript+flash) is distributed from. The web-client uses MediaWiki more like a database-service (and possible for html-generation). As for license, I plan on using the zlib-license since it's not as restrictive as GPL in terms of commercial use, hence why I would like to know how the MediaWiki GPL affects the web-client application. Trond.

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Daniel Cannon

4:08 p.m.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Trond Olsen wrote:

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:40 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com <mailto:platonides@gmail.com>> wrote: Trond Olsen wrote:

Hi, I have one question in concerning the GPL-license in regard to a web-application using the MediaWiki API for querying XML (and possible other extensions). I'm unsure if the GPL-license will affect the

client

program and would like to ask if anyone would care to comment? Regards, Trond Olsen.

If you're using the mediawiki api internally (running it on the server), you're linking to the program and the viric clause applies. If you're using a different client, it's an inter-process comunication, thus the client doesn't need to be gpl. Anyway, a gpl client wouldn't hurt in any way your project (it could even support it). IANAL, don't take my word on it, and so on. The setup is: Wiki is run on the same server (domain) where the web-client (javascript+flash) is distributed from. The web-client uses MediaWiki more like a database-service (and possible for html-generation). As for license, I plan on using the zlib-license since it's not as restrictive as GPL in terms of commercial use, hence why I would like to know how the MediaWiki GPL affects the web-client application. Trond.

My advice would be to contact a lawyer. This is a rather complicated situation, and a trained professional will be far more capable of giving you an authoritative answer than a bunch of a techies on a mailing list. That said, my interpretation is that MediaWiki is being used as a primary component of your software in this case, and this direct dependency implies to me that your software is a derivative work of MediaWiki and therefore must be released under a GPL license. - -- Daniel Cannon (AmiDaniel) cannon.danielc(a)gmail.com

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participants (5)

Daniel Cannon
Magnus Manske
Platonides
Roan Kattouw
Trond Olsen