PHP team votes on recognized open-source licenses
The vote in the core PHP team on new open-source licenses has begun. These are intended to create a uniform regulation.
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PHP Internals, the core members of the project, are currently voting on a new open-source license for PHP and the Zend Engine. The proposed Modified or 3-Clause BSD License is recognized by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and is GPL-compatible. This should not change the rights guaranteed to users and contributors so far.
The RFC proposal justifies the introduction of a new license with the current confusion of licenses, which has historical reasons. Currently, the OSI recognizes the PHP License v3.01 as open source, but the Zend Engine License 2.0 is not. Neither is GPL-compatible.
However, the two components are developed together and are in the same repository. This is difficult for outsiders and users to understand: "After 25 years of cohabitation within the same source code repository, the two are intertwined in ways in which the Zend Engine can no longer be separated and used as a standalone product. Together, they form the PHP programming language reference implementation."
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The 3-Clause BSD License is very permissive and, as a special feature, states that users of the software may only use the names of the authors and contributors for advertising with prior permission. It does not restrict the previously guaranteed rights of the preceding licenses, as they contained a similar clause.
The vote by PHP Internals on the proposal published in July 2025 runs until April 4th; currently, there are 23 yes votes and one abstention. The electorate consists of about forty people, and a two-thirds majority is necessary for success.
The history of PHP includes a variety of licensing attempts that have been used since its first release; the RFC call provides a brief historical overview.
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