Re: Debian request to change the PHP license for Extensions

On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 6:32 AM, Stas Malyshev <smalyshev@sugarcrm.com> wrote: > Hi! > >> Debian began to send requests to change PHP license for the PHP >> Extension arguing that the PHP License is only valid for PHP itself. > > That's like saying Apache license is only valid for Apache httpd, and > Mozilla license is only valid for Mozilla Firefox. Makes little sense to > me. OTOH, I don't think anything really prevents PECL extension authors > to dual-license their extensions under whatever Debian would like, if > they want so. People that aren't extension authors probably can't do > much here though. A package licensed under the PHP License must be released under php.net (f.e. gtk and smarty are not listed under http://www.php.net/software.php and this is actually a problem. For all PECL extensions or PEAR packages. using the PHP License is not a problem. However using the PHP License for a random extension on github and do not release it under pecl is not valid. > But, since PHP itself is under PHP license, and extensions probably use > substantial parts of PHP code and thus arguably can be considered as > derived works, all the limitations that PHP License puts on derived > works would apply to them still. Though not pretending to understand how > it really works legally, I guess Debian should have some lawyers that > understand it. It is not derived, or any proprietary extensions would have a serious here. > So I guess I'm not sure what we can really do here or what Debian wants > to happen. No idea either but there is an on going discussion. Cheers, -- Pierre @pierrejoye | http://www.libgd.org