For Approval: Microsoft Permissive License

Matthew Flaschen matthew.flaschen at gatech.edu
Tue Sep 25 01:02:19 UTC 2007


Chris Travers wrote:
> The covered code itself can only be licensed under the MS-PL itself, which
> *must* follow the code precisely as I argue the BSDL does.  It does *not*
> mean you can't apply a different work as a whole license provided that it
> does not govern that specific code.

This is simply incorrect.  If the work as a whole (in source code form)
has a license, it must be MS-PL.  As Mr. Thatcher (Microsoft outside
counsel) put it:

"Can I distribute source code under both the Ms-PL
and another OSS license?

[...] [I]f you are not the copyright holder (and you don't have
permission from the copyright holder) you may not offer source code that
was licensed to you under the Ms-PL to others under another license."

Saying the work as a whole is under license A but the MS-PL code is only
MS-PL is clearly not allowed.

Matt Flaschen



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