Current MIT-License does not suit QGIS Plugin License Requirements

[koebi]

Accoding to the Licensing requirements for QGIS plugins, QGIS plugins should comply with GPL version 2 or greater.

Following the discussion in this QEP, license files will become mandatory as of June 1st, 2024.

Therefore, we will have to switch to GPL version 2 or greater, and I'd propose using GPL version 3. The current MIT-License is compatible with this, so re-licensing the code is feasible.

This issue exists mainly to inform all our contributors about this change, so they can voice their concerns (if any).
Tagging @nilsnolde @merydian @TheGreatRefrigerator @mattamach @m-kuhn @jannefleischer @kcrkor for this.

[nilsnolde]

I might be wrong but IMO this is a non-issue, MIT is perfectly compatible with GPL. It doesn’t mean that this plugin is re-licensing QGIS code. It just means that the code written in this plugin can be used in a MIT way unless otherwise restricted, e.g. PyQGIS via GPL.

While we’re on the topic: GIScience doesn’t even comply with the very little licensing restrictions MIT requires hahaha you removed my copyright! I don’t easily take offense, but that’s a big NO NO.

[TheGreatRefrigerator]

you removed my copyright! I don’t easily take offense, but that’s a big NO NO|

@nilsnolde that's on me 🙇🏻. When i was correcting maintainer info and switching all leftover stuff with emails and name mentions from nils to HeiGIT i also changed the license file, but not with bad intent. We also have your contact link in the acknowledgments section. I think that's read by more people than the License anyway 😅

But i've also changed the license now to what i think would be the correct way, as in 2019 the project was moved to HeiGIT/GIScience. (At least according to this post, and i've searched quite a bit on how to do this now..)

This still doesn't solve the whole "MIT license file used as File and for Github repo, README states published under GPL3, .py files also have some license relevant things, now we maybe want to use GPL3 after all" thing though, so i'll just leave this issue open.