For Approval: Microsoft Permissive License

[John Cowan]

Michael R. Bernstein scripsit:

> I think you're missing the point that both of these licenses are
> incompatible with *any* other license, no matter how permissive. A file
> under MS-PL can't even incorporate BSD-licensed code. That takes
> *special* effort.

I believe you have misread MS-PL 3D.  It says that "this software", which
means "the accompanying software", the original code you got along with
the license, must be distributed under the MS-PL and accompanied with it.

It does *not* say that any derivative work (the creation of which is
explicitly permitted by 2A) must be licensed under the MS-PL.  Indeed,
as long as you follow the conditions and limitations in 3A-3E, you
can apparently license your derivative work under any license.

Of course, your changes to the work must rise to the level of being
a derivative work as opposed to a mere transcription or trivial change.

> As far as I can tell, the MS-PL and MS-CL licenses aren't even
> compatible with each other, in either direction.

I believe this to be the product of the same misreading.  The MS-CL does
create a closed commons, but the MS-PL does not.

-- 
John Cowan   cowan at ccil.org  http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Most languages are dramatically underdescribed, and at least one is
dramatically overdescribed.  Still other languages are simultaneously
overdescribed and underdescribed.  Welsh pertains to the third category.
        --Alan King