With a release later this year (2009), Jaspersoft is planning to change the licenses on the open source projects as follows:

• JasperReports from LGPL version 2 to LGPL version 3
• iReport from GPL version 2 to GPL version 3
• JasperServer and JasperAnalysis from GPL version 2 to Affero GPL version 3

The Jaspersoft projects use components with a variety of open source licenses, and we have found that some of these licenses are “incompatible” with GPL version 2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhatIsCompatible. By moving to the more advanced GPL and LGPL version 3, and upgrading the underlying components to licenses compatible with GPL version 3, the projects will have clearer and more comprehensive open source licensing conditions.

The GPL enforces open source by requiring those who “distribute” software based on GPL components to also open source their code under the GPL “copyleft” terms http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html. Distribution, in this case, means public availability of the programs via downloads or on disks. One method of getting access to the functionality of a system is over a network, but this is not considered distribution under the terms of the GPL. The Affero GPL license was specifically created to extend the conditions of the GPL to cover “network distribution”. Because JasperServer is accessible over a network via a browser and Web services, the move to Affero GPL version 3 ensures that JasperServer will remain open source under GPL terms.

Discussion of the license changes by all JasperForge.org community members is welcome at any project forum http://jasperforge.org/projects/jaspersoft/forum

Sherman Wood

JasperServer Project and Community Lead

Jaspersoft

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 at 12:44 am and is filed under JasperAnalysis, JasperReports, JasperServer, Jaspersoft, Open Source Software, iReport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.