From: Ryo C. <ry...@il...> - 2003-07-17 04:17:02
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I am contemplating changing the license under which IlohaMail is distributed, from GPL to the Open Software License 2.0 (http://rosenlaw.com/osl2.0.html). The Open Software License 1.0 has been approved by the Open Source Initiative, and 2.0 will most likely be approved shortly. The major difference between the current license and the OSL is that, under the OSL, deployment of software like IlohaMail is treated the same way distribution of binaries is treated in compiled software. This means all end-users of IlohaMail will have access to the source code of the particular installation they're using, unless an alternative license is arranged by the host. Bottom line is, nothing would change unless you have objections to your users having access to the IlohaMail source code you've deployed. The problem I have with GPL is that it doesn't apply fully to web-base apps like IlohaMail that don't have binary distributions. If an organization were to distribute a modified version of a GPL'd desktop email client for use by its users, they would be required to distribute the source code as well. However, under GPL, when an organization deploys a modified version of IlohaMail, they're not required to be accountable for the changes they make. Users of modified versions of IlohaMail will have no way of verifying the integrety or quality of the software they're using, which I believe runs counter to the spirit of open source. There's also nothing preventing organizations from stripping away any mention of IlohaMail from the interface before deployment, essentially taking away any credit to the project. The OSL does not require that organizations release source code publicly; it's only the users of that particular installation that have rights to access the code. If I do switch licenses, I will add a feature in IlohaMail that will allow users to access the actual source code being used, from within the interface (i.e. you won't have to put together a distribution). Also, the license will only apply to include/*.inc, source/*.php, and lang/*.inc, so all other files (i.e. language modules, config files, themes) will be exhempt from the license. For organizations that wish to deploy IlohaMail but would prefer not to release proprietary modifications, a separate licensing deal will be available. Right now, this is just an idea that I have, and is not a final decision. I'm sending this out to the mailing lists to see what people think, so if you have any opinion on this, please let me know. Ryo |