Mozilla License to Get A Make Over.
posted 10 March 2010, Wednesday
Mozilla Public License (MPL) has been in use for a little more than 10 years originally developed at Netscape. Current version 1.1 is in use and is about to get a make over. The license has served the Open Source community well throughout the years. Mozilla is interested in the modernity of the license with the purpose of staying with the times in terms of other license compatibility and internationalization. Sun Systems, Flex, and Zimbra use the license to name a few.
Mozilla is currently working with the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and the Open Source Initiative insuring the new MPL inures the organizations policies and principles.
The main undertaking is to get the MPL to be more compatible with the GNU GPL and Apache Foundation License and to expand the license for international use.. Apache License 2.0 updated in 2004 to be more compatible with the GNU GPL. It seems reasonable for Mozilla to update the MPL at this point and undergo minor changes to complete the initiative.
The MPL when working toward GNU GPL compatibility does offer an open and flexible license that allows copy and modification as long as the end result is redistributable under the MPL. A conflict arises when combining MPL with the GNU GPL at a binary level. Unless, of course, the MPL "code" is licensed under the GPL.
There is a strong desire, inside an outside of Mozilla to offer an MPL that is compatible with the Apache Foundation License. Mozilla's interest in a modern MPL is the current vision but Mozilla will not remove the copyleft requirement of its MPL.
The Apache Fondation License does not have a copyleft requirement that allows Apache Foundation code without giving back to the community. The copyleft clause makes for an interesting effort and some creative ideas on how to reach compatibility.
Obviously this takes some time and we should be watching through October the modifications to the MPL that allows more alignment with the GPL, the Apache License and internationalization.
Check out the Mozilla site and keep an eye on this one!