I realized that Cholmes has now left town until April 28, and although he has been handling the correspondence with the Ext folks, I want to make sure we circle back with an update.

When we reached out to Ext JS, we expressed TOPP's concerns in detail-- particularly about how this might significantly impact our Geo team's development path. � As you may know, an upcoming project planned to create best of breed widgets�for mapping (styling layers, viewing and adding data, searching, turning layers on and off) built on or working with OpenLayers and Ext.js. Without clarity around the future of Ext.js licensing, it would not be prudent to proceed as planned.�

�� Thank you for your candid email.� I can assure you that we want to work with the open source community.� In fact, we have been in search of a current OSI approved license that will meet our needs.� I want to put your concerns at ease.� In the coming weeks, Ext will be more open.� Please feel free to reach out and give me a call on my cell: XXX-XXX-XXXX. �We are definitely interested in your project's success, and feel you are doing great work.�

Chris was able to speak with Abe directly, and learned that a primary factor in their licensing matter was a concern about the GPL's applicability to javascript. In their view, the GPL seemed to assume it was being applied to code written in a compiled language, even under the updated GPL 3. This belief prompted their adoption of the Ext license that put field-of-use restrictions on top of the vanilla LGPL, with the apparent objective being to grant the right to use Ext.js in "commercial" applications but not in libraries or toolkits: Ext.js could be consumed, but not subsumed.�

Chris connected Abe with David Turner and asked David if he could shed more light on the GPL's applicability to javascript. David was kind enough to clarify that the GPL was indeed considered applicable to javascript by himself and others at FSF, and generously offered both his own time and to connect them to folks at FSF to help satisfy any lingering questions they may have. Abe replied with his thanks and a promise to keep us posted on any new developments. Abe sent this reply on April 11 (last friday), and I am not aware of any correspondence with him this week. I did just check, though, and as of today (April 18) the Ext license still stands on�their website.�

These are not utterly simple matters, though, and so I'd like to give Abe some time for him and his team to look into things and find answers that could lay their concerns to rest. However, I want to be clear that I am not interested in asking you all to wait indefinitely for some resolution. �I have sent Abe an email today to request that, with Chris traveling for the next few weeks, he also please include me on any email updates.�

I will pass news on as I receive it, and if we do not hear from him within 2 weeks from today (May 2), we will have to start discussing our options.�