[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #16898: Fix plugins about page license requirement

[WordPress Trac]

#16898: Fix plugins about page license requirement
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 Reporter:  scribu              |       Owner:
     Type:  feature request     |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal              |   Milestone:  WordPress.org
Component:  WordPress.org site  |     Version:
 Severity:  normal              |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                      |
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Comment (by Rarst):

 Replying to [comment:42 scribu]:
 > Hey, whad'ya know, my [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/front-end-
 editor/ Front-end Editor] plugin can be added to Mike's spreadsheet, since
 it bundles [http://aloha-editor.org/ Aloha Editor]. Aloha Editor is
 licensed under the AGPL, which is compatible with GPL3, but not with GPL2.

 AGPL might be one of the most problematic licenses that currently can be
 encountered in repository, because of much stronger demand for source
 disclosure. If developer installs your plugin and does small tweak on
 Aloha - suddenly that developer is on the hook for being obliged to
 proactively release that modified source.

 Also it's not compatible with GPLv3 in a sense that you can move code
 between them, but in a sense that you can distribute combined work while
 parts will retain GPLv3 and AGPLv3 license respectively.

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 And one more point I want to bring up for consideration. Currently less
 than fourth of plugins I scanned has explicit ''License:'' declaration in
 header. I was surprised to see that line
 [http://codex.wordpress.org/File_Header#Plugin_File_Header_Example only
 very loosely mentioned in Codex]. Lack of standard and enforced indication
 of plugin's license and in turn lack of ability to display it in all
 repository interfaces (wordpress.org site, WP admin interface) makes
 simple action of installing plugin from repository a licensing gambling.

 I want to suggest that indication of license in header (or in other human
 and code accessible way) is considered to be enforced. That would at the
 very least make situation easier to audit both for wordpress.org and third
 parties.

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/16898#comment:43>
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