I've spotted the library (library M) where developers took some source files from GPL with Classpath Exception licensed library (library G), included them in their project and changed namespaces and accessibility on classes.
They are licensing it under MIT license. But the question is: can they really do that?
Whether developers modified this library G is irrelevant, because Classpath Exception is still there.
Keeping Classpath Exception allows them to merge their's modified (or not?) version with their's library M and publish it under MIT license.
When dealing with the source code I should distinguish between MIT licensed code and GPL Classpath Exception licensed code. Or maybe I should consider whole as GPL licensed?
When developers will provide me with binary (dll) of their's library M I should consider it to be fully MIT licensed.
Can a library be considered executable?
Additional details
I think I should provide additional details so you can better address my questions.
Library M has a structure:
- Folder1 (Library M files)
- Folder2 (Library M files)
- Folder3 (Library M files, in one of the files there is is a call to Library G function)
- Folder4 (some files from Library G, unmodified in general, but namespaces and class accessibility has been changed)
Changes in Folder4 in my opinion are hardly a derivative. Files are literally copied from library G, no modifications were made in the "creative" part that is methods that actually do something remain unchanged, files keep original GPL with Classpath Exception notice. There is no class inheritance in Library M files.
Here is where things get shoddy. I doubt that changing namespace or class accesibility is really a copyright issue. In the end, it is organizational matter, not about doing any kind of creative work. The same goes with copying only some files. But I can never be sure.
The real, final and most important question is: can I consider binary of Library M, that is the result of compilation of source files structure described above and provided by developers to be fully MIT Licensed?