NAME

Software::License::OrLaterPack - Add-ons for Software::License module providing "or any later" clause to some GNU licenses

VERSION

version 0.003

SYNOPSIS

In dist.ini:

name             = Foo-Bar
version          = 0.001
author           = John Doe <john.doe@example.com>
license          = GPL_3::or_later ; <<== Note 'or_later' <<==
    ; or another license, see the list of provided licenses below
copyright_holder = John Doe
copyright_year   = 2015
…

Direct usage:

use Software::License::GPL_3::or_later; # <<== Note 'or_later' <<==
    # or another license, see the list provided licenses below
my $license =
    Software::License::GPL_3::or_later->new( {
        holder => 'John Doe', …
    } );
print( $license->notice );
…

PURPOSE

Dist::Zilla/dzil, a popular framework/tool for building packages for CPAN, allows you to specify software license in dist.ini file, e. g.:

license = NAME

where NAME is a short license name, like Perl_5 or BSD. When building your package, dzil will add "COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE" section to the documentation, add appropriate LICENSE file to your package, etc. Dist::Zilla uses licenses provided by Software::License package. The latter is bundled with a set of popular software licenses, including GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) versions 1, 2, and 3, denoted by names GPL_1, GPL_2, and GPL_3 respectively.

Free Software Foundation, a developer of GNU GPL, recommends do not stick to a specific version of the GNU license, but allow "upgrading" it by using "license version N or (at your option) any later version". See rationale.

However, Software::License package does not provide (ready to use out of the box) a way to express such conditions. This module partially fulfills the lack.

LIST OF PROVIDED LICENSES

Software::License::AGPL_3::or_later

Software::License::GPL_3::or_later

Let me know if you need other licenses, e. g. GPLv2+.

CAVEATS

CPAN::Meta::Spec hardcodes the list of "valid" licenses. In version 2.150001 of the module there are no "upgradable" GNU licenses, so in CPAN the GPLv3+ will look as ordinal GPLv3 (gpl_3), and so on.

SEE ALSO

Dist::Zilla

Software::License

Software::License::AGPL_3

Software::License::AGPL_3::or_later

Software::License::GPL_3

Software::License::GPL_3::or_later

Why should programs say “Version 3 of the GPL or any later version”?

AUTHOR

Van de Bugger <van.de.bugger@liamg.moc>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2015 Van de Bugger

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.