Hello internals,
I’m opening discussion on an RFC proposing that we relicense PHP under
the Modified BSD License (SPDX identifier: BSD-3-Clause), starting with
PHP 9.0. This change simplifies and modernizes our licensing,
addressing long-standing issues while preserving the rights of both
contributors and users. Below is a quick summary of what the RFC
proposes and what it means for developers.
- Proposes that PHP 9.0 adopt the Modified BSD License (BSD-3-Clause),
replacing the current PHP and Zend Engine licenses.
- The Modified BSD License is OSI-approved, GPL-compatible, and widely
recognized in the open source community.
- Your rights as a developer—use, modification, distribution—remain
unchanged.
- Extensions and tools may adopt BSD-3-Clause in place of the outdated
PHP License.
- The update removes confusing legacy clauses tied to branding and
permissions.
I’ve spoken with all members of the PHP Group, and each has voiced their
approval of this proposal. The Perforce legal team has also informally
approved, and I will be working with them to get a formal letter of
approval soon.
The RFC is available at:
https://wiki.php.net/rfc/php_license_update
Discussion will remain open for at least six months to ensure all
interested parties have an opportunity to respond.
Cheers,
Ben
P.S. For legal questions or concerns, I’m working with Pamela Chestek
of Chestek Legal <
https://www.chesteklegal.com> on behalf of the PHP
Group. You may be familiar with her work as chair of the license
committee for the Open Source Initiative.