GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception

E341107

GPL variant copyleft license free software license

The GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception is a copyleft free software license variant that allows linking of GPL-licensed code with proprietary or differently licensed software without imposing the GPL’s full reciprocity requirements on the entire combined work.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Disambiguation Statements Elicitation Referenced by

All labels observed (7)

Label	Occurrences
GPL with Classpath Exception	6
GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception canonical	3
Classpath exception	1
GNU General Public License v2 with Classpath exception (some components, via GraalVM / OpenJDK stack)	1
GNU General Public License version 2 with Classpath Exception	1
GPL with linking exception	1
GPLv2 with Classpath Exception	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T3245019 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception
Context triple: [HotSpot JVM, license, GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception]

A. GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is a widely used free software license that guarantees users the freedoms to run, study, share, and modify software while requiring that derivative works remain similarly open.
B. Eclipse Public License
The Eclipse Public License is a widely used open-source software license that permits use, modification, and distribution of covered software while imposing certain copyleft-style obligations on derivative works.
C. Apache License 1.1
Apache License 1.1 is an older, permissive open-source software license from the Apache Software Foundation that preceded and was later replaced by Apache License 2.0.
D. GNU Lesser General Public License
The GNU Lesser General Public License is a free software license that allows developers to use and integrate covered software libraries into their own programs, including proprietary ones, under certain copyleft conditions.
E. GNU licenses
GNU licenses are a family of free software licenses created by the Free Software Foundation to guarantee users the freedoms to run, study, share, and modify software.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception
Target entity description: The GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception is a copyleft free software license variant that allows linking of GPL-licensed code with proprietary or differently licensed software without imposing the GPL’s full reciprocity requirements on the entire combined work.

A. GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is a widely used free software license that guarantees users the freedoms to run, study, share, and modify software while requiring that derivative works remain similarly open.
B. Eclipse Public License
The Eclipse Public License is a widely used open-source software license that permits use, modification, and distribution of covered software while imposing certain copyleft-style obligations on derivative works.
C. Apache License 1.1
Apache License 1.1 is an older, permissive open-source software license from the Apache Software Foundation that preceded and was later replaced by Apache License 2.0.
D. GNU Lesser General Public License
The GNU Lesser General Public License is a free software license that allows developers to use and integrate covered software libraries into their own programs, including proprietary ones, under certain copyleft conditions.
E. GNU licenses
GNU licenses are a family of free software licenses created by the Free Software Foundation to guarantee users the freedoms to run, study, share, and modify software.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	GPL variant ⓘ copyleft license ⓘ free software license ⓘ
aimsTo	encourage adoption of GPL libraries ⓘ reduce licensing barriers for use in proprietary software ⓘ
allows	linking with differently licensed software ⓘ linking with non-GPL free software ⓘ linking with proprietary software ⓘ
appliesTo	linking of independent modules to GPL libraries ⓘ
category	free and open-source software license ⓘ open source license ⓘ
clarifies	conditions for linking to non-GPL code ⓘ
compatibleWith	proprietary applications at link-time ⓘ
distinguishesBetween	GPL-covered code and independent modules ⓘ
doesNotImpose	full GPL reciprocity on entire combined work ⓘ
doesNotRequire	source code disclosure for independent proprietary modules solely linked ⓘ
governs	copying of GPL-covered files ⓘ modification of GPL-covered files ⓘ redistribution of GPL-covered files ⓘ
grants	permission to link independent modules ⓘ
hasAbbreviation	GPL with Classpath Exception ⓘ linked to: GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception
hasCopyleftType	weak copyleft ⓘ
hasException	Classpath exception ⓘ linked to: GNU General Public License with Classpath Exception
hasLegalEffect	narrows copyleft obligations for linked code ⓘ
hasLicenseBase	GNU General Public License ⓘ
hasLicenseModel	copyleft with linking exception ⓘ
hasRightsGranted	copy ⓘ distribute ⓘ modify ⓘ use ⓘ
hasScope	linking and distribution of combined works ⓘ
imposes	copyleft on covered GPL components ⓘ
isConsidered	more permissive than standard GPL for linking ⓘ
isDocumentType	legal text ⓘ
isIntendedFor	runtime environments ⓘ software libraries ⓘ
isPublishedBy	Free Software Foundation ⓘ
isUsedFor	libraries intended to be widely adopted by third-party applications ⓘ
isWrittenIn	English ⓘ
legalDomain	software licensing ⓘ
maintains	GPL copyleft on modified GPL-licensed files ⓘ
modifiesConditionOf	distribution of combined works ⓘ
relatedTo	GNU General Public License version 2 ⓘ linked to: GNU General Public License GNU General Public License version 3 ⓘ linked to: GNU General Public License
requires	distribution of license text with covered code ⓘ preservation of copyright notices in GPL-covered code ⓘ source code disclosure for GPL-covered parts ⓘ
usedBy	GNU Classpath ⓘ some Java libraries ⓘ
usedInContext	Java runtime libraries ⓘ

How these facts were elicited