Programming language: PHP discusses license change
The PHP community plans to switch to the BSD license. The aim is to achieve greater legal clarity and compatibility. PHP 9.0 is set to implement this.
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The PHP developer community is currently discussing a comprehensive license change. The aim is to replace the PHP and Zend licenses used to date with the standardized Modified BSD License. The proposal has been drafted as an RFC (Request for Comments) and concerns the change planned for PHP 9.0.
According to the RFC, the PHP license has been considered legally problematic for years. Although the Open-Source Initiative (OSI) has apparently approved the PHP license in the past, this was only under a so-called legacy approval, i.e., a retrospective approval of a license that has been in use for a long time, even if it does not meet all current formal criteria. The Zend Engine License was apparently never officially recognized by the OSI. In addition, both licenses are incompatible with the GNU GPL, which is likely to cause problems when used in the Linux environment in particular.
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On November 25, betterCode() PHP will take place, an online conference organized by iX and dpunkt.verlag in cooperation with thePHP.cc. Those interested can learn more about the programming language in lectures and discussion panels. Discounted tickets at the blind bird rate are available on the conference website.
Proposal: Modified BSD License
The RFC proposes adopting the Modified BSD License (also known as the “3-clause BSD license”) as the new basis for PHP and the Zend Engine. This license is OSI- and GPL-compatible and is recognized as a free license by the Free Software Foundation. The previous special clauses of the PHP and Zend licenses are to be deleted, including name protection regulations and special conditions of use.
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Rights remain unchanged
According to the RFC, the switch to the BSD license will not result in any restrictions on existing rights of use. There will be no changes in the usability of the code for users or contributors. The content of the previous licenses already corresponds in essence to the BSD license, minus project-specific additional clauses.
The proposal requires the approval of the PHP Group and Perforce Software (owner of the Zend Engine). Both parties have already approved the RFC or signaled their approval. A vote within the PHP project is also planned to legitimize the decision collectively.
Changeover with PHP 9.0
The license change is scheduled to take effect with the release of PHP 9.0 – a release date has not yet been set. Existing source code will be adapted accordingly, and the previous license files will be replaced. Third-party software published under the previous PHP license can continue to be used under the new license.
With the switch to the BSD license, the PHP project aims to standardize and simplify the licensing situation. The measure is intended to reduce legal uncertainty, increase compatibility with other open-source projects, and simplify the reuse of the code.
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