IBM Public License
The IBM Public License ( IPL ) is an open source license designed by IBM , recognized by the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation (FSF), but incompatible with the GNU General Public License (GPL).
In contrast to the GNU GPL, it makes the publisher or publisher ( distributor ) liable for the licensed software . According to IBM, this makes it easier for programs to be used commercially without exposing those who work on the software to the risk of liability for program errors. Proponents of the license argue that it defines more clearly than the GNU GPL who is responsible for the software.
The license is incompatible with the GNU GPL because it contains additional restrictions. According to the FSF, “[the IPL] requires certain patent licenses that the GPL does not require. (We don't think that such patent license requirements are inherently a bad idea, but they are nonetheless incompatible with the GNU GPL) "(Original ( English ):" it requires certain patent licenses be given that the GPL does not require. (We don ' t think those patent license requirements are inherently a bad idea, but nonetheless they are incompatible with the GNU GPL.) ”)
The IPL also differs from the GNU GPL in handling software patents in that it terminates the license as soon as patent disputes arise.
The license has been criticized for the provisions in Section 4 that require commercial distributors of the licensed source code to reimburse anyone who has contributed to that source code for legal costs that may arise from legal action by users of the software. It has been criticized that small distributors (such as Linux distributions that are sold on CDs) are forced to pay damages for theoretically unlimited legal costs.
Examples of software that has been licensed with the IPL, is no longer supervised Java - compiler Jikes and the mail transfer agent Postfix .
Web links
swell
- ↑ FSF license list with comments on the IPL . Retrieved June 24, 2007.
