Re: Re-Releasing PEAR packages under the BSD license

On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 12:08:33AM -0800, Justin Patrin wrote: > On 12/13/06, Sylvain Beucler <beuc@beuc.net> wrote: > >Hello, > > > >I am working on GPL'd PHP code, and I would like to use some of the > >fine PEAR packages in my projects (for example, > >http://gna.org/p/savane and > >http://gcourrier.cliss21.com) :) > > > >However, I read that the PHP license that some packages use is not > >compatible with the GNU GPL due to details in the license specific to > >the PHP engine itself (1). This means I cannot legally use a PEAR > >package such as QuickForm or Structures_DataGrid in my GPL'd app :/ > > > > > >I see that 'PHP Group' is marked as copyright holder of PEAR packages, > >so it wouldn't be needed to contact each and every contributor to > >change this. > > > >Could the PHP Group re-release PEAR packages that are under the PHP > >license, under the 'modified BSD' license? mBSD is the same as the PHP > >license minus the PHP-engine-specific statements, and compatible with > >the GPL (and with the PHP license as well ;)). > > > > > >I see that the latest GPLv3 draft is compatible with the PHP license > >(http://gplv3.fsf.org/wiki/index.php/Compatible_licenses#GPLv3-compatible_licenses) > >which is great news. However, I'd need to use PEAR packages in my > >projects now, and can't ill afford to wait for months until the GPLv3 > >is out, so I'd need to use other packages instead :/ > > > >Would it be possible to re-release PHP-licensed PEAR packages now? > > > >Thanks, > > > >-- > >Sylvain > > > > > >(1) Check http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html: > > > >"PHP License, Version 3.0: This license is used by most of PHP4. It is > >a non-copyleft free software license which is incompatible with the > >GNU GPL. We recommend that you not use this license for anything > >except PHP add-ons." > > > >For example, in the PHP license: > > 4. Products derived from this software may not be called "PHP", nor > > may "PHP" appear in their name, without prior written permission > > from group@php.net. You may indicate that your software works in > > conjunction with PHP by saying "Foo for PHP" instead of calling > > it "PHP Foo" or "phpfoo" > > > >This is specific to the PHP interpreter and not compatible with the > >GNU _General_ Public License. In fact this doesn't seem really needed > >for PEAR packages. > > > > This incompatibility was found and fixed in the latest version of the > PHP License. If you find a package which is not using the newest > version (3.01) then ask the authors to update it. IIRC the only change > was to this troublesome clause. Hi, I sent a mail to licensing@fsf.org to ask for confirmation :) However, I think the 3.0->3.01 changes was related to another issue. I think it was meant to make the PHP License legally apply to something else than PHP itself strictly speaking - PEAR packages. (1) This means that the license is probably still incompatible with the GNU GPL. I found this webpage: http://gplv3.fsf.org/wiki/index.php/PHP_license%2C_version_3.01 for a more detailed explanation. The page also says that maybe the PHP License will not be compatible with the GPLv3 in fact :/ (2) Currently I'm a bit unsure about whether I can or cannot use packages under the PHP license in my application. For this reason I think it would be clearer if PEAR packages under the PHP license were re-released under the modified BSD license. What do you think? -- Sylvain (1) Here's the diff (diff -u 3_0.txt 3_01.txt): - "This product includes PHP, freely available from - <http://www.php.net/>". + "This product includes PHP software, freely available from + <http://www.php.net/software/>". and -This product includes the Zend Engine, freely available at +PHP includes the Zend Engine, freely available at It fixes the fact that a PEAR packages do not contain PHP itself :) (2) The page reads: <<The PHP license has two restrictions on using the name "PHP">>. This is apparently what makes the license incompatible with the GPL. Later on you read: "However, the second draft of the GPLv3 prohibits the following additional terms: requirements regarding changes to the name of the work which conflicts with the PHP license's prohibition on using "PHP" as a name for the work." So using the PHP License for PEAR package may be an issue even after the release of GPLv3 :/