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Request #12836 License seems to not really fit, please change
Submitted: 2008-01-06 10:01 UTC
From: thijs Assigned:
Status: Open Package: Text_Highlighter (version 0.7.1)
PHP Version: Irrelevant OS:
Roadmaps: (Not assigned)    
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 [2008-01-06 10:01 UTC] thijs (Thijs Kinkhorst)
Description: ------------ Hi! Thank you for making this class, it's very useful to me. I would also like to include it into Debian Linux as a package. There I encountered a problem with the license (PHP license 3.01): it does not really seem to apply to the package. There's a few references in the license that say that derived versions may not be called PHP, and at the bottom the license claims that this product includes the Zend engine. I do not think that Text Highlighter includes Zend Engine :-) As it seems, the PHP license is written with PHP-the-language in mind. May I suggest a license change to the BSD-license? It seems similar in scope but is simpler, wider known and does not have the problems I outlined above. An alternative is dual licensing under PHP and BSD licenses. thanks!

Comments

 [2008-01-06 23:47 UTC] stoyan (Stoyan Stefanov)
Hi Thijs, Very nice to hear you like the package and you consider including it in Debian. Thanks! Unfortunately I know nothing about the different licenses, but I can see that the PEAR base package is also licensed under the same PHP license (http://pear.php.net/package/PEAR/) Since Text_Highlighter depends on the base class, I can't see how it will help if I change the license, because you'll still need the PHP-licensed PEAR class. What do you think? Thanks, Stoyan
 [2008-01-08 08:06 UTC] thijs (Thijs Kinkhorst)
It will help. PEAR.php is actually developed and maintained by "the PHP group", while Text Highlighter is developed by an independent party (you). The crucial problem with the license is that is seems to be mostly written with software developed by The PHP Group in mind. On a more practical note a licence change or extension of course happens one package at a time, and would help because PEAR.php is already in Debian and will not be easily removed because of this, while Text Highlighter is not yet in Debian and will be refused to enter before it is fixed... thanks for your attention.
 [2008-08-25 13:55 UTC] thijs (Thijs Kinkhorst)
Hi, Is there any progress on this bug or more information needed? thanks, Thijs
 [2008-08-25 18:04 UTC] stoyan (Stoyan Stefanov)
I don't see a reason not to change to BSD license. I'll update with the next release. Thanks!
 [2008-10-22 23:35 UTC] damko (Damiano Venturin)
Hi Stoyan There are many reasons to switch from php to bsd. Any developer dislike to waste time with licenses. Bsd it's helpful for this. For ex. you can read this http://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=14853
 [2008-10-22 23:36 UTC] damko (Damiano Venturin)
oops I didn't read you wrote "not". sorry :-)