mojohaus/license-maven-plugin

License plugin sends mixed signals for multi-license projects with forbidden licenses

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#332 opened on May 9, 2019

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Description

I have a problem with this dependency:

[INFO] License: 'GPL v2' for 'MavenProject: com.rabbitmq:amqp-client:5.4.3 @ 'is OK since it is also licensed under 'Apache License, Version 2.0'
[WARNING] There are 1 forbidden licenses used:
[WARNING] License: 'GPL v2' used by 1 dependencies:
 -RabbitMQ Java Client (com.rabbitmq:amqp-client:5.4.3 - http://www.rabbitmq.com)

In my config, I'm allowing APLv2 but forbid (with <excludedLicenses>) GPLv2.

I would prefer not to get the warning in this case.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate the license maven plugin source code to understand how it handles multi license dependencies with a mix of allowed and forbidden licenses. The issue is that the plugin warns about GPL v2 even though the dependency also has an allowed license (Apache 2.0). Focus on the logic that determines which license is considered the primary or effective license, and how excluded licenses interact with that. Look for ways to suppress the warning when an allowed license coexists.
Tech stack
java
Domain
build system
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
Maven
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60