[php-maint] Bug#332618: PHP License

[Charles Fry]

I just wanted to make sure that all relevant RC bugs were aware of the
following debian-legal post by MJ Ray:

   "The PHP licence could be OK for any software which has PHP Group
   contribution (regardless who is licensing later), but would require 
   lying about other software. So, it is possible for others to use it 
   'freely' when PHP Group was involved upstream and avoid the problem
   you describe.

   "Please leave the PHP licence bugs open for software which has no
   contribution by the PHP Group (which seems true for one or two pear
   packages IIRC). I don't think the PHP licence can be accepted as
   always-OK for others yet."

   http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/12/msg00142.html

Of course his comments are not binding on Debian, but they do express a
train of thought which has not been satisfactorily refuted on
debian-legal.

To summarize the long and continuing thread on "Clarification regarding
PHP License and DFSG status", there have been many comments questioning
the freeness of the PHP License, but there has been no refutal to my
proposal (agreed to by MJ above) that whatever the status of the PHP
License in Debian, it be applied equally to PHP and PHP Group software.

cheers,
Charles

-- 
A better buy -- why not try
Burma-Shave
http://burma-shave.org/jingles/1939/a_better_buy