Hello,

I am working on GPL'd PHP code, and I would like to use some of the
fine PEAR packages in my projects (for example,
http://gna.org/p/savane and http://gcourrier.cliss21.com) :)

However, I read that the PHP license that some packages use is not
compatible with the GNU GPL due to details in the license specific to
the PHP engine itself (1). This means I cannot legally use a PEAR
package such as QuickForm or Structures_DataGrid in my GPL'd app :/


I see that 'PHP Group' is marked as copyright holder of PEAR packages,
so it wouldn't be needed to contact each and every contributor to
change this.

Could the PHP Group re-release PEAR packages that are under the PHP
license, under the 'modified BSD' license? mBSD is the same as the PHP
license minus the PHP-engine-specific statements, and compatible with
the GPL (and with the PHP license as well ;)).


I see that the latest GPLv3 draft is compatible with the PHP license
(http://gplv3.fsf.org/wiki/index.php/Compatible_licenses#GPLv3-compatible_licenses)
which is great news. However, I'd need to use PEAR packages in my
projects now, and can't ill afford to wait for months until the GPLv3
is out, so I'd need to use other packages instead :/

Would it be possible to re-release PHP-licensed PEAR packages now?

Thanks,

-- 
Sylvain


(1) Check http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html:

"PHP License, Version 3.0: This license is used by most of PHP4. It is
a non-copyleft free software license which is incompatible with the
GNU GPL. We recommend that you not use this license for anything
except PHP add-ons."

For example, in the PHP license:
  4. Products derived from this software may not be called "PHP", nor
     may "PHP" appear in their name, without prior written permission
     from group@[...].net.  You may indicate that your software works in
     conjunction with PHP by saying "Foo for PHP" instead of calling
     it "PHP Foo" or "phpfoo"

This is specific to the PHP interpreter and not compatible with the
GNU _General_ Public License. In fact this doesn't seem really needed
for PEAR packages.

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