A Promise Without a Remedy: Supposed Incompatibility of GPL v2 and Apache v2

    Abstract: License “incompatibility” in free and open source software licensing means that, when two differently licensed pieces of software are combined, one cannot comply with both licenses at the same time. It is commonly accepted that the GNU General Public License version 2 is incompatible with the Apache License, version 2 because certain provisions of the Apache License would be considered “further restrictions” not permitted by the GPLv2. However, this article will explain why there is no legally cognizable claim for combining the two, either under a copyright infringement theory or a breach of contract theory.