Re: [boost] Boost licensing information

Subject: Re: [boost] Boost licensing information
From: John Maddock (jz.maddock_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-04-13 09:56:45

>> The BSL is compatible with the GPL, so I find it very hard to believe
>> that Apache 2.0 is incompatible.
>>
>> Source:
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_free_and_open-source_software_licenses 
>>
>>
>> Source: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html
>
> I believe it is more correct to say Apache 2.0 does not meet Boost 
> requirements to the license in that it is more restrictive than the 
> BSL. In particular, BSL has no requirements similar to those in Apache 
> 2.0 [1] Section 4 item b.
>
> Also, unlike BSL, Apache 2.0 is not compatible with GPLv2, only GPLv3, 
> which is not as popular.
>
> The boilerplate comment that is recommended to be used to apply the 
> license, and the license itself, are significantly longer than those 
> of BSL. I'll remind that this thread has started from someone having 
> difficulty reading and understanding the BSL, and Apache 2.0 is not 
> likely to improve on that.
>
> [1]: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
>

Irrespective of the merits of the various licences, I would remind 
everyone that it took us the better part of 2 years last time we changed 
licences... and Boost has grown immeasurably larger since then.   I am 
emphatically not going to take on that task again, if someone else wants 
to volunteer, I can only wish them good luck - they will most certainly 
need it!

Best, John.

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