Apple changed APSL

[semthex]

Appe silently as usal changed the APSL text distributed with the latest released sources to make further work on it imposssible. They still refer to their website but haven't changed their license text there yet. Following passage was added to the re-released source tree:

 

"This file contains Original Code and/or Modifications of Original Code as defined in and that are subject to the Apple Public Source License Version 2.0 (the 'License'). You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. The rights granted to you under the License may not be used to create, or enable the creation or redistribution of, unlawful or unlicensed copies of an Apple operating system, or to circumvent, violate, or enable the circumvention or violation of, any terms of an Apple operating system software license agreement."

 

Since the Source was released public before with another license, the redistribution of already published sources including emualtion of dsmos is still legal:

 

"7. Versions of the License. Apple may publish revised and/or new versions of this License from time to time. Each version will be given a distinguishing version number. Once Original Code has been published under a particular version of this License, You may continue to use it under the terms of that version. You may also choose to use such Original Code under the terms of any subsequent version of this License published by Apple. No one other than Apple has the right to modify the terms applicable to Covered Code created under this License."

 

Apple's change to the license came silently but this will harm any further development on it, since I won't be allowed to release any changes to further released source trees. Even if tehy (intentionaly?) forgot to change revision number, all sources which are made already available still stay available under the old terms of license. I want to mention that the news posted to MacOSForge is a bit false, since the source tree was available before in the public listable source directory at opensource.apple.com.

 

http://semthex.freeflux.net/