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Postings from August 2009
Perl 5 using Artistic License 2.0
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From:
Darren Duncan
Date:
August 27, 2009 01:36
Subject:
Perl 5 using Artistic License 2.0
Message ID:
4A9600B1.5020601@darrenduncan.net
I think I raised this issue before just prior to Perl 5.10.0 coming out, and it
was decided then that it wasn't something to hold up the release over. However,
now that it is *after* the release of Perl 5.10.1 and people are more relaxed, I
think its time to return to this.
I propose that Perl 5 now becomes re-licensed under just the Artistic License
2.0, following the lead of the Perl 6 related projects such as Parrot and
Rakudo. This instead of using the disjunction of the original Artistic License
and the GPLv1+. And the text of the Artistic License 2.0 would be bundled in
the file named "Artistic" rather than the text of the older version.
This change would make the licensing situation cleaner moving forward and should
more accurately convey what Larry originally intended, with better legal
footing, and with terms more easily understood by anyone.
While many people have contributed to Perl 5 over the years, making this
licensing change shouldn't actually be very difficult, since we actually *don't*
need to contact every single one of them in advance to ask for permission.
Rather, we can simply get the permission of a few main contributors, or at least
Larry himself, and then let anyone else raise an objection if they want to,
which is probably very unlikely. (Its the same issue as with relicensing the
Linux kernel if one wanted to.) After all, there isn't really any legal problem
unless a copyright holder raises an objection.
In regards to the secondary effects of this change, such as on all those CPAN
modules licensed "same terms as Perl itself", well we shouldn't have a problem
there either. The Artistic License 2.0 is in the same spirit as the original,
and almost exactly the same in substance, save for the cleaning up and better
legal status, and so all those CPAN modules suddenly falling under the Artistic
License 2.0 shouldn't be a problem to their authors as their intentions would
still be met.
And there is no need for the complexity of an explicit GPL disjunction since the
Artistic License 2.0 is compatible with all GPL versions by itself.
I propose that this change be made as soon as physically possible, as someone
has the tuits to make the documentation edits, and at least Larry signs off on it.
And so, any future Perl 5 releases, including 5.11.x+, 5.10.2, and any possible
further 5.8.x, can be under the Artistic License 2.0.
Can anyone think of any good reason to not go ahead with this sooner rather than
later?
-- Darren Duncan
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Perl 5 using Artistic License 2.0
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