111 lines
4.5 KiB
HTML
111 lines
4.5 KiB
HTML
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<title>Perens Open Source Definition LG #26</title>
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<center><H1>The Open Source Definition</H1></center
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<P>
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Open Source(TM) Software doesn't just mean access to the source code.
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The distribution terms of an Open Source program must comply with the
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following criteria.
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<P>
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<H4>1. Free Redistribution</H4>
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<P>
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The license may not restrict any party from selling or giving away the
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software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing
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programs from several different sources. The license may not require a
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royalty or other fee for such sale.
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<P>
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<H4>2. Source Code</H4>
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<P>
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The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in
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source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is
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not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means
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of downloading the source code, without charge, via the Internet. The
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source code must be preferred form in which a programmer would modify the
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program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate
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forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed.
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<P>
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<H4>3. Derived Works</H4>
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<P>
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The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow
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them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original
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software.
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<P>
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<H4>4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code</H4>
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<P>
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The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified
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form _only_ if the license allows the distribution of "patch files"
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with the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at build
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time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of software built
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from modified source code. The license may require derived works to
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carry a different name or version number from the original software.
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(This is a compromise. The Open Source Trust encourages all authors to not
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restrict any files, source or binary, from being modified.)
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<P>
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<H4>5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups</H4>
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<P>
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The license must not discriminate against any person or group of
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persons.
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<P>
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<H4>6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor</H4>
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<P>
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The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program
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in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the
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program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic
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research.
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<P>
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<H4>7. Distribution of License</H4>
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<P>
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The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the
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program is redistributed without the need for execution of an
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additional license by those parties.
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<P>
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<H4>8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product</H4>
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<P>
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The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's
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being part of a particular software distribution. If the program is extracted
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from that distribution and used or distributed within the terms of the
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program's license, all parties to whom the program is redistributed should
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have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with
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the original software distribution.
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<P>
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<H4>9. License Must Not Contaminate Other Software</H4>
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<P>
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The license must not place restrictions on other software that is
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distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the
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license must not insist that all other programs distributed on the
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same medium must be Open Source software.
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<P>
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<H4>10. Example Licenses</H4>
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<P>
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The "GPL", "BSD", and "Artistic" licenses are examples of licenses
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that we consider comformant to the Open Source definition.
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<P><HR> <P>
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<H4>Attribution</H4>
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<P>
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The Open Source definition is derived from the Debian Free Software
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Guidelines. I composed the original draft, and then it was refined
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using suggestions of the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution developers in
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e-mail confernce during most of June, 1997. They then voted to approve
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it as Debian's publicly stated policy. It was revised somewhat and
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Debian-specific references were removed at the origination of the Open
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Source Trust in February 1998.
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<P>
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--Bruce Perens
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