HyperWiki

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision 		Previous revision
en:philosophy:php_trademark [2023/10/08 21:58]
throgh [What is the problem?] 		en:philosophy:php_trademark [2026/05/07 17:56] (current)
emulatorman
Line 1: Line 1:
 ====== Trademark Concerns and Problems with PHP ====== ====== Trademark Concerns and Problems with PHP ======
  
-PHP is as general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development and often used in those contexts. Nevertheless it is not common known that the licensing behind the software is more out of a problem and making it more than only a lightweight issue packaging this for a free and libre operating-system. To be clear: **It is not possible to package PHP for a free and libre system without getting into trademark-issues when modifying without "explicit" permission.**+PHP is as general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development and often used in those contexts. Nevertheless it is not common known that the licensing behind the software is more out of a problem and making it more than only a lightweight issue packaging this for a free and libre operating-system.
  
-===== What is the problem? =====+Since version 8.6 of PHP the license changed towards the newer version 4 removing clauses 4, 5, and 6 of the PHP License, version 3.01. This makes it effectively identical to the Modified BSD License (BSD-3-Clause). Nevertheless the Modified BSD License itself stays a weak, permissive one and does not have the copyleft restrictions associated with licenses like the GNU GPL, making no commitment to share back modifications for everyone to see and use. The argumentation is and was that PHP could be used be a broader group of people. Yes, we can see and follow the point same, but we also clearly stand for free and libre software, with a clear perspective to share all modifications back. 
 + 
 +To be clear: **It is not possible to package PHP in versions before version 8.6 for a free and libre system without getting into trademark-issues when modifying without "explicit" permission. For the version 8.6 and later on it needs a review if a community-maintained package would be another valuable addition in the future.** 
 + 
 +===== What is the problem (versions before PHP 8.6)? =====
  
 Starting in the year 2000, the PHP authors have decided to remove the option to use PHP under the General Public License, so with beginning from PHP version 4. This left users with only the PHP License as an option, which is non-copyleft, but includes extra restrictions beyond most licenses. Starting in the year 2000, the PHP authors have decided to remove the option to use PHP under the General Public License, so with beginning from PHP version 4. This left users with only the PHP License as an option, which is non-copyleft, but includes extra restrictions beyond most licenses.
Line 25: Line 29:
  
 So if we would do individual modifications corresponding our mission-statement, we would always have to ask and rename everything. That's a very harsh and aggressive restrictive usage of trademarks and therefore exactly **trademark-bullying**. So if we would do individual modifications corresponding our mission-statement, we would always have to ask and rename everything. That's a very harsh and aggressive restrictive usage of trademarks and therefore exactly **trademark-bullying**.
-===== Outcome and decisions for Hyperbola ===== 
  
-The Hyperbola-project decided to completely remove PHP from its packages since the release of version 0.4.3 for **Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre** and also for the future with **HyperbolaBSD** as complete operating-system. We don't provide problematic packages and software not respecting the freedom of the users to modify their systems and sources as they want. A trademark-policy can lead to a complete false balance when organizations and people behind decide to withdraw rights at once as it is always part of that trademark. And this withdrawal would immediate lead to further legal issues for projects and systems including those names and software!+===== Solutions (versions before release 8.6) ===== 
 + 
 +  * **Rebranding** the entire language to avoid the trademark restriction. However, we would need **patches** to adapt all **PHP-dependant applications** to the rebranded version of PHP, since it is a programming language. 
 + 
 +  * Getting PHP to change its trademark agreement to allow modifications on the PHP binary for any purpose in respect of [[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html|Freedom 3]]. 
 + 
 +  * Removal of PHP as the project is not following free, libre software. 
 + 
 +Hyperbola has taken the decision to keep PHP complete out of the repositories, including also all applications possible using PHP. We decline this kind of "freedom" under the influence of trademark-bullying. 
 + 
 +===== Outcome and decisions for Hyperbola (current) ===== 
 + 
 +The Hyperbola-project decided to completely remove PHP from its packages since the release of version 0.4.3 for **Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre**. We don't provide problematic packages and software not respecting the freedom of the users to modify their systems and sources as they want. A trademark-policy can lead to a complete false balance when organizations and people behind decide to withdraw rights at once as it is always part of that trademark. And this withdrawal would immediate lead to further legal issues for projects and systems including those names and software!