Common Development and Distribution License

Common Development and Distribution License The Common Development and Distribution License is a free and open-source software license published by Sun Microsystems designed for software distribution and collaboration. It was created to govern source code contribution and distribution practices for projects originating from Sun Microsystems and later associated with Oracle Corporation and other organizations. The license has been invoked in a variety of projects and has intersected with numerous legal, corporate, and community actors.

Overview

The CDDL defines terms for modifying, distributing, and combining source code while preserving contributor rights and recipient obligations in ways distinct from the GNU General Public License and the MIT License. It is a file-oriented copyleft license related to the Mozilla Public License and was intended to balance Sun Microsystems' commercial interests with the needs of projects such as OpenSolaris, NetBeans, and GlassFish. The license text addresses contributor grants, patent clauses, and notice requirements that affect contributors like Jonathan Schwartz, organizations like Oracle Corporation, and projects with governance models akin to Apache Software Foundation and Eclipse Foundation.

History and Development

The CDDL was drafted and published by Sun Microsystems in 2004 as part of a suite of initiatives including the launch of OpenSolaris and open sourcing efforts involving projects such as OpenOffice.org and NetBeans IDE. Key Sun figures and teams collaborating with external participants from entities like Java Community Process, Microsoft, and various open-source projects influenced its shape. As Sun transitioned through acquisitions involving Oracle Corporation and interactions with communities including members of the Free Software Foundation, the CDDL's provenance became a focal point in debates involving Lawrence Lessig-style license theory and jurisprudence seen in cases invoking precedents from courts in jurisdictions such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and forums where entities like Canonical Ltd., Red Hat, and SUSE contested compatibility and distribution norms. Discussions at conferences like FOSDEM, OSCON, and panels hosted by IEEE and ACM shaped community reception and subsequent amendments to licensing practice.

License Terms and Conditions

The CDDL establishes obligations for disclosure of source code for files covered by the license, contributor licensing and patent grants, attribution and notice preservation, and disclaimers of warranty and liability. It requires redistribution to include the original license and copyright notices, impacting contributors such as individuals and organizations like Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation, Netscape Communications Corporation, and projects stewarded by groups such as the Apache Software Foundation and OpenBSD developers. Patent clauses reference standards mirrored in licenses discussed by Eben Moglen, Richard Stallman, and legal analyses by firms like Red Hat Legal, Microsoft Legal, and commentators from Electronic Frontier Foundation. The license's file-level copyleft contrasts with the project-level copyleft of the GNU General Public License and the permissive terms of the BSD License and has implications for downstream projects maintained by bodies such as Debian Project, Gentoo, and Fedora Project.

Compatibility and Use with Other Licenses

CDDL compatibility concerns arose in interplay with the GNU General Public License, leading to debates involving stakeholders including Richard Stallman, representatives from Sun Microsystems, and contributors to OpenSolaris and LibreOffice. Legal compatibility with permissive licenses like the MIT License and BSD License differs from the incompatibility with the GPLv2 as interpreted in technical and legal analyses by counsel at entities such as Red Hat, Oracle Corporation litigators, and advocacy groups including the Software Freedom Law Center. Cases and discussions at venues involving the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and commentary from academics at institutions like Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of California, Berkeley informed community practice on relicensing, dual-licensing, and mixing CDDL code with code under Apache License or Eclipse Public License governance.

Adoption, Notable Implementations, and Controversies

Notable adoptions of the CDDL include OpenSolaris, the ZFS file system releases by contributors such as Jeff Bonwick and Kirk McKusick, the NetBeans IDE components, and projects like GlassFish and various middleware initiatives. The release of ZFS on Linux and incorporation into distributions like OpenIndiana, Illumos, and discussions among maintainers at Canonical Ltd. and Debian Project prompted legal and community disputes involving Oracle Corporation, the Free Software Foundation, and advocates from Lawrence Lessig-style academic critiques. High-profile controversies revolved around the compatibility with the GNU General Public License, redistribution policies pursued by Oracle Corporation after the acquisition of Sun Microsystems, and the stewardship choices of forks such as Illumos and implementations by companies like Joyent, Delphix, and Intel Corporation.

The license has remained influential in shaping conversations about file-level copyleft licensing, patent grant language, and contributor agreements, with continuing references in project governance by organizations including Linux Foundation, Open Source Initiative, and regional institutions like European Commission digital policy programs. Debates involving license proliferation, stewardship by corporate stewards such as Oracle Corporation and community-driven forks like OpenIndiana reflect enduring tensions in open-source licensing exemplified by interactions among stakeholders like Red Hat, Canonical Ltd., SUSE, IBM, and activist groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Category:Software licenses