Server Side Public License information

Server Side Public License
Author	MongoDB Inc.
Published	16 October 2018
SPDX identifier	SSPL-1.0
Debian FSG compatible	No
FSF approved	No
OSI approved	No
GPL compatible	No
Copyleft	Yes
Website	www.mongodb.com/licensing/server-side-public-license

The Server Side Public License (SSPL) is a source-available copyleft software license introduced by MongoDB Inc. in 2018.^[2]^[3]

It includes most of the text and provisions of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPL v3),^[4] but modifies its provisions for software that is conveyed over a network—requiring that anyone who offers the functionality of SSPL-licensed software to third-parties as a service must release the entirety of their source code, including all software, APIs, and other software that would be required for a user to run an instance of the service themselves, under the SSPL. In contrast, the AGPL v3's equivalent provision covers only the licensed work itself.

The SSPL is not recognized as free software by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), Red Hat,^[5] and Debian^[6] as the aforementioned provision is discriminatory towards specific fields of use.^[3]^[7] Specifically, this is discriminatory against users of the software that use proprietary software within their stack, as the license requires the open-sourcing of every part interacting with the service, which under these circumstances might not be possible. This is in violation of Points 6^[8] and 9^[9] of the Open Source Definition as used by the Open Source Initiative.

^ Section 13 of the licence: "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. 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."
^ "Server Side Public License (SSPL)". MongoDB. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Server Side Public License FAQ". MongoDB. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
^ Ward, Sarah. "SSPL compare to AGPL" (PDF).
^ "MongoDB's licensing changes led Red Hat to drop the database from the latest version of its server OS". GeekWire. January 16, 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
^ Lamb, Chris (December 5, 2018). "MongoDB SSPL v1 license and the DFSG". Debian Bug report logs (Mailing list). Debian. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024. However, the SSPL is clearly not in the sprit of the DFSG, yet alone complimentary to the Debian's goals of promoting software or user freedom. In light of this, the Project does not consider that software licensed under the SSPL to be suitable for inclusion in the Debian archive.
^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Perens, Bruce (February 17, 2019). "[License-review] Approval: Server Side Public License, Version 2 (SSPL v2)". License Review Mailing List of the Open Source Initiative (Mailing list). Open Source Initiative. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024. Section 13 is very obviously intended to be a restriction against the field of endeavor of offering the software as a service, and thus not in compliance with OSD #6.
^ Perens, Bruce (February 17, 2019). "[License-review] Approval: Server Side Public License, Version 2 (SSPL v2)". License Review Mailing List of the Open Source Initiative (Mailing list). Open Source Initiative. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024. it doesn't appear that you've addressed the main problem with the license, which is that it attempts to encumber entirely separate programs which are simply used together with the licensed program.

[1] Section 13 of the licence: "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. 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."

[2] "Server Side Public License (SSPL)". MongoDB. Retrieved January 14, 2021.

[:0-3] "Server Side Public License FAQ". MongoDB. Retrieved April 27, 2021.

[diff-4] Ward, Sarah. "SSPL compare to AGPL" (PDF).

[5] "MongoDB's licensing changes led Red Hat to drop the database from the latest version of its server OS". GeekWire. January 16, 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2024.

[6] Lamb, Chris (December 5, 2018). "MongoDB SSPL v1 license and the DFSG". Debian Bug report logs (Mailing list). Debian. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024. However, the SSPL is clearly not in the sprit of the DFSG, yet alone complimentary to the Debian's goals of promoting software or user freedom. In light of this, the Project does not consider that software licensed under the SSPL to be suitable for inclusion in the Debian archive.

[:2-7] Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[osi-ml-osd-6-violation-8] Perens, Bruce (February 17, 2019). "[License-review] Approval: Server Side Public License, Version 2 (SSPL v2)". License Review Mailing List of the Open Source Initiative (Mailing list). Open Source Initiative. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024. Section 13 is very obviously intended to be a restriction against the field of endeavor of offering the software as a service, and thus not in compliance with OSD #6.

[osi-ml-osd-9-violation-9] Perens, Bruce (February 17, 2019). "[License-review] Approval: Server Side Public License, Version 2 (SSPL v2)". License Review Mailing List of the Open Source Initiative (Mailing list). Open Source Initiative. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024. it doesn't appear that you've addressed the main problem with the license, which is that it attempts to encumber entirely separate programs which are simply used together with the licensed program.

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