Infinispan to adopt the Apache Software License

Starting with Infinispan 6.0, the project will move from its current GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) v.2.1 licence to the Apache License (AL) v.2.0. The switch from the weak copyleft LGPL license to the more permissive AL one is in response to continued requests from the wider open source community who intend to integrate Infinispan into open source projects that aren’t LGPL-friendly.  A more permissive license broadens Infinispan’s community, ecosystem and general appeal.

To deal with any concerns you may have, I’ve put together some FAQs below:

Is it still open source?

Yes.  The source code for Infinispan is and always will be open and freely accessible.

Is it as business-friendly?

The AL is often regarded as more business-friendly than LGPL.

How does that affect our existing users?

It doesn’t.  You are just as free to use, contribute, and participate in the project.

How does that affect our contributors?

In accordance with the JBoss Contributor License Agreement, all past contributions to Infinispan will be re-licensed to the AL.  Future contributions will be licensed under the AL too.

This relicensing is part of our ongoing effort to build and maintain a strong and inclusive open source community, and I hope you’re on our side with this move.

Feel free to post any questions or thoughts as comments on this blog.

Thanks

Manik Surtani

on behalf of the Infinispan team