Classes NonNull, NonNullApi, NonNullFields, Nullable: copyright infringement?

[patrick-vonsteht]

It seems that the following files are modifications of files originally published as part of the Spring framework:

https://github.com/micrometer-metrics/micrometer/blob/master/micrometer-core/src/main/java/io/micrometer/core/lang/NonNull.java
https://github.com/micrometer-metrics/micrometer/blob/master/micrometer-core/src/main/java/io/micrometer/core/lang/NonNullApi.java
https://github.com/micrometer-metrics/micrometer/blob/master/micrometer-core/src/main/java/io/micrometer/core/lang/NonNullFields.java
https://github.com/micrometer-metrics/micrometer/blob/master/micrometer-core/src/main/java/io/micrometer/core/lang/Nullable.java

The original files can be found at:

https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/master/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/lang/NonNull.java
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/master/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/lang/NonNullApi.java
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/master/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/lang/NonNullFields.java
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/master/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/lang/Nullable.java

For proper licensing, the modified files must adhere to the following conditions, which they currently don't do:

• Apache License 2.0 §4(b): You must cause any modified files to carry prominent notices stating that You changed the files; and
• Apache License 2.0 §4(c): You must retain, in the Source form of any Derivative Works that You distribute, all copyright, patent, trademark, and attribution notices from the Source form of the Work, excluding those notices that do not pertain to any part of the Derivative Works;

[jkschneider]

I fail to see the real concern here. These are incredibly boilerplate.

[patrick-vonsteht]

It is both a matter of law and of respect to the original developers.

Maybe one could argue that the code is too simple to be copyrightable. As I'm not a copyright lawyer I can't make an educated statement about this. But the javadoc has also been copied verbatim. And this quite certainly crosses the line concerning copyright infringement.

Also the commit history of the files clearly shows that they have been copied from Spring and then later edited to remove all references to Spring. So it is clear that this has not been coded independently, but copied from Spring. So as a matter of respect alone, the original authors should be referenced.

But as I'm none of the original authors I've got no personal stakes in this matter. So I'll leave it at this.
Ultimately it's your decision what to do about it. I have done my duty by making you aware of the issue.

[shakuzen]

We are confirming some things with our legal team, so I have moved this to the 1.3.18 milestone for any additional changes. In the meantime, the changes in #2456 will be included from the 1.3.17 patch release.