After reading https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Elasticsearch#Install_elasticsearch, it looks
like the Koha community is actually already using the "Elastic licence" since we're
installing the compiled "binary" Elasticsearch rather than building our own Elasticsearch
from the previously Apache 2.0 licenced Java source code.
Interesting that Elastic provides two download links:
https://www.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch and
https://www.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch-oss. Yet, the package manager
instructions are the same for both, while the direct DEB downloads in both
appear to be for different packages.
So if you look at... /usr/share/doc/elasticsearch/copyright, you'll probably
find the Elastic License.
So... technically speaking the replacement of Apache 2.0 with SSPL is actually
probably irrelevant for us since we're not modifying or building the source
code. We're just using the compiled Java object/byte code.
Of course, that means our use of Elasticsearch has been with a free but
proprietary licence. This SSPL change really just shines a light on the
licensing for us then.
David Cook
Software Engineer
Prosentient Systems
Suite 7.03
6a Glen St
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Australia
Office: 02 9212 0899
Online: 02 8005 0595
-----Original Message-----
From: Koha-devel <koha-devel-boun...@lists.koha-community.org> On
Behalf Of dc...@prosentient.com.au
Sent: Monday, 18 January 2021 11:47 AM
To: 'koha-devel' <koha-devel@lists.koha-community.org>
Subject: Re: [Koha-devel] Elasticsearch changing licences
That's interesting that you know Vicky, Thomas. That was actually the first
article I read before posting to this listserv. It was interesting.
Thanks for that excerpt, Jonathan, although I think you have omitted a very
important part where they define a service:
"""
Making the functionality of the Program or modified version available to third
parties as a service includes, without limitation, enabling third parties to
interact with the functionality of the Program or modified version remotely
through a computer network, offering a service the value of which entirely or
primarily derives from the value of the Program or modified version, or
offering a service that accomplishes for users the primary purpose of the
Program or modified version.
"""
Personally, I find the definition from 1.3 to be vague as "enabling third parties to interact
with the functionality of the Program or modified version remotely through a computer network"
or "offering a service the value of which entirely or primarily derives from the value of the
Program or modified version" could really be interpreted a variety of ways. Not good.
If you read "1.3 Offering the Program as a Service" from the Elastic
perspective, that text makes some sense. They're trying to prevent AWS (and other cloud
providers) from providing Elasticsearch as a managed service, as they think that the
competition directly impacts their own managed service business. MongoDB created the SSPL
licence and started using it in October 2018. Of course, it seems that Amazon just forked
the last AGPL version of MongoDB to create Amazon DocumentDB in January 2019
(https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/new-amazon-documentdb-with-mongodb-compatibility-fast-scalable-and-highly-available/).
Redis also changed some of its licensing a while ago:
https://redislabs.com/legal/licenses/.
But, at this point, I don't think there have been any legal cases that actually
test the SSPL. But it's still early days.
I suppose when considering products, we might want to consider the life of the
product too. Here is a critical article on MongoDB's finances:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2020/07/20/dont-chase-growth-with-mongodb/?sh=568631c64ef3.
Perhaps the licence change won't be enough and they'll eventually be bought by
a larger tech company.
No idea.
David Cook
Software Engineer
Prosentient Systems
Suite 7.03
6a Glen St
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Australia
Office: 02 9212 0899
Online: 02 8005 0595
-----Original Message-----
From: Koha-devel <koha-devel-boun...@lists.koha-community.org> On
Behalf Of Jonathan Druart
Sent: Friday, 15 January 2021 10:22 PM
To: koha-devel <koha-devel@lists.koha-community.org>
Subject: Re: [Koha-devel] Elasticsearch changing licences
Thanks Thomas, great article.
It's what I thought this morning when I read their FAQ and the license, they
don't mean the same.
The license clearly states:
"""
If you make the functionality of the Program or a modified version available to
third parties as a service, you must make the Service Source Code available via
network download to everyone at no charge, under the terms of this License.
[...]
“Service Source Code” means the Corresponding Source for the Program or the
modified version, and the Corresponding Source for all programs that you use to
make the Program or modified version available as a service, including, without
limitation, management software, user interfaces, application program
interfaces, automation software, monitoring software, backup software, storage
software and hosting software, all such that a user could run an instance of
the service using the Service Source Code you make available.
"""
That's crazy!
Le ven. 15 janv. 2021 à 11:47, Thomas Klausner <d...@plix.at> a écrit :
Hi!
On Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 10:11:20AM +0000, Hugo Agud Andreu wrote:
as far as I have understood we still could use as ES license is
still open, tha changes only affects to those that change the code
of ES that they will be forced to publish their own developments, as
Koha only uses API and none code modification is done, then no
problem with ussing ES
I haven't looked into the detail myself, but I know Vicky, and assume
that she spend a fair shair of thinking before publishing this:
https://anonymoushash.vmbrasseur.com/2021/01/14/elasticsearch-and-kib
a
na-are-now-business-risks
I'm using ES in a few projects, so I will have to consider if I just
freeze ES at the current version, and/or look for some alternatives
in the future. Or maybe they won't go through with the new license?
Or maybe it will be clarified how the license actually affects
projects just using ES.
Greetings,
domm
--
#!/usr/bin/perl http://domm.plix.at
for(ref bless{},just'another'perl'hacker){s-:+-$"-g&&print$_.$/}
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