883585 - Is distributing a Firefox binary with a hidden API key infringing the MPL?

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(mozilla.org :: Licensing, task)

Description

[Mike Hommey [:glandium]]

Following the dev-planning thread about the geolocation and safebrowsing future use of Mozilla-specific API key that won't be part of the mozilla codebase and not exposed in any source form, it would seem to me this would infringe on MPL 2's section 3.2, as the binary form would not correspond to the source code. I *do* know this argument has been made about GPL, and makes the use of API keys in GPLed software impossible, and as I read the MPL, it is subject to the same issue. Is it actually the case?

Comment 1

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

I think the answer is probably: if the API key is read from a separate file, that file does not have to be under the MPL and so distributing the resulting binary without offering access to that file is entirely legal.

Assuming one's agreement with the API key provider does not prevent it, one could even then publish that binary under the MPL (as we do). I do not know for certain whether our agreement with Google prevents this, but I would be surprised if we signed an agreement which prevented us from releasing our binaries under an open source licence.

Gerv

Comment 2

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

Answer given.

Gerv