stephen-hardy / xlsx.js enhancements

[gbisheimer]

Hi Niggler. I found your work on xlsx file thanks to license discussion on stephen-hardy implementation. I'm one of those persons just too lazy to read license files.
I needed to write Excel files to export data from my webpage and I found his code on GitHub. I forked his work and added support for cell styling, to be able to change fonts, borders, colors, etc., and I rewrote almost every line of his export code to make it dinamically created (his version has fixed parameters). I wanted to share my code but found this licensing problem with his code and I need to know how can I proceed. Can you give me an advise on this matter?
Thanks!

[redchair123]

If you are forking stephen-hardy/xlsx.js, you have to distribute under the Microsoft Office Extensible File License (section 3D). That's not where you run into trouble, though. The real problem for you comes when you want to use this for your projects (emphasis mine):

(F) Platform Limitation- The licenses granted in sections 2(A) & 2(B) extend only to the software or derivative works that (1) are run on a Microsoft Windows operating system product, and (2) are not Excluded Products.

This is a usage issue, though, and doesn't affect your ability to make contributions or release your code. You are free to create a github repo and release the code.

If you do decide to release enhancements to xlsx.js, note that section 3D makes it difficult to use the those contributions in a project that isn't licensed with their version ("any portion of the software", which your contributions would be). If I felt so inclined, I'd probably raise an issue about it in your project :)

If it is not too crass to ask, why not contribute to this project directly? Since this is a clean-room implementation from the ISO standard and was licensed under the MIT license from inception, there's no question that others can use your contributions (and I won't have to scrutinize any future contributions from you to ensure that we don't accidentally violate the other project's license).

tl;dr: Its ok to make your fork and publish, but you have to use the Microsoft Office Extensible File License. Watch how you are using the code after you do so. If this does give you pause, consider contributing to this project :)

[gbisheimer]

Thanks Niggler for your fast response.

I've already forked your project. I'll try to migrate my code to be
compatible with yours and release it as a pull-request. I'm doing this as
part of a plugin I'm developing for another GitHub project (jTable by
Hikalkan). I was just about to publish my branch when I noticed this
problem with the license of stephen-hardy code. I'll publish my plugin
using your code instead (if you agree, of course).

Cheers!

2013/3/15 Niggler notifications@github.com

If you are forking stephen-hardy/xlsx.js, you have to distribute under
the Microsoft Office Extensible File License (section 3D). That's not
where you run into trouble, though. The real problem for you comes when
you want to use this for your projects (emphasis mine):

(F) Platform Limitation- The licenses granted in sections 2(A) & 2(B)
extend only to the software or derivative works that (1) are run on a
Microsoft Windows operating system product, and (2) are not Excluded
Products.

This is a usage issue, though, and doesn't affect your ability to make
contributions or release your code. You are free to create a github repo
and release the code.

If you do decide to release enhancements to xlsx.js, note that section 3D
makes it difficult to use the those contributions in a project that isn't
licensed with their version ("any portion of the software", which your
contributions would be). If I felt so inclined, I'd probably raise an issue
about it in your project :)

If it is not too crass to ask, why not contribute to this project
directly? Since this is MIT from inception, there's no question that others
can use your contributions (and I won't have to scrutinize any future
contributions from you to ensure that we don't accidentally violate the
other project's license).

tl;dr: Its ok to make your fork and publish, but you have to use the
Microsoft Office Extensible File License. Watch how you are using the code
after you do so. If this does give you pause, consider contributing to this
project :)

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/10#issuecomment-14963071
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[redchair123]

Pull requests are always welcome, and I'm glad to see you found use for this!