[Numpy-discussion] Windows wheels using MKL?

[Robert Kern]

On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 12:29 AM, Matthew Brett <matthew.brett at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 4:48 PM, Matthew Brett <matthew.brett at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Can I check what is stopping us building official numpy binary wheels
>> for Windows using the Intel Math Kernel Library?
>>
>> * We'd need developer licenses, but those sound like they would be
>> easy to come by
>> * We'd have to add something to the license for the wheel on the lines
>> of the Canopy license [1], derived from the MKL license [2] - is that
>> a problem?
>>
>> Are there other problems for numpy?
>
> Talking with Fernando, we identified these as being the key problem
> clauses in the MKL license [1]:
>
> <start quote>
> D. DISTRIBUTION: Distribution of the Redistributables is also subject
> to the following limitations:
> [snipped clauses]
>  (iv) shall use a license agreement
> that prohibits disassembly and reverse engineering of the
> Redistributables, (v) shall indemnify, hold
> harmless, and defend Intel and its suppliers from and against any
> claims or lawsuits, including
> attorney's fees, that arise or result from your distribution of any product.
> </end quote>
>
> The first is a problem that might conceivably be adequately solved by
> adding a paragraph to the Pypi page for numpy ("If you download and
> install the windows binaries, you also agree... ") and copying a new
> clause into the license in the installed tree.   Maybe.   The second
> looks like it would be very hard to deal with for open source project
> like us....

It would be confusing to distribute these non-BSD wheels on the same
PyPI page that declares most prominently that numpy is BSD-licensed.
Adding some text elsewhere on the PyPI page is not going to help very
much: people look at the "License: BSD" first and foremost. Nothing
stops anyone else from building and distributing MKL-built binaries, a
la C. Gohlke, but I don't think it is wise to do so on the PyPI page.

-- 
Robert Kern