LGPL License

[bbergeson]

I have a project that uses JFreeChart as is without any modifications. Originally this was only for internal purposes but now the company wants to sell the application. As I understand it, based upon the LGPL, I have to either include the source code for JFreeChart in the distribution, or provide it upon demand. My question is how have other companies accomplished this? Are they actually including the entire source code for JFreeChart in their distribution or are they providing a link on their website for the user to download the source code? I was hoping to just provide a link to the JFreeChart web site in my About screen or license file so that the user can just go their to get the source code if they wish. Isn't that sufficient?

thx

[david.gilbert]

If you haven't modified the source code then what you describe is going to satisfy most people (myself included).

The only thing to bear in mind is that under the license terms it is, strictly speaking, *your* responsibility to ensure that your users can get access to the source code. So if, for some reason, jfree.org was to disappear one day (or we removed downloads of older versions), it would be your responsibility to provide some alternative download.

[bbergeson]

Thanks for the information David; although I would still like to get an answer to my first question. How are most companies dealing with this? Are they including the source code for JFreeChart in their distribution or are they providing a link to it on their website?

[bbergeson]

Still hoping for an answer to my original question.

[david.gilbert]

I don't have stats so I can't tell you what most companies do, but I've seen examples of companies:

- including the JFreeChart source code in their distribution;
- providing a link to their own server where users can download the JFreeChart source code;
- simply providing a link to the JFreeChart home page.