imported>Fluyt: Removed improper capitalisation and "open source" part (a license doesn't have source code), added link.

2025-05-13T16:19:57Z

Removed improper capitalisation and "open source" part (a license doesn't have source code), added link.

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{{Short description|Free and Open Source license applied to the Ruby programming language}}
{{Primary sources|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox software license
| name = Ruby License
| image =
| caption =
| author = [[Yukihiro Matsumoto]]
| version =
| publisher = Yukihiro Matsumoto, et al.
| date =
| OSI approved = No
| FSF approved = Yes
| Debian approved = Yes<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.debian.org/legal/licenses/ | title = Debian - License information | access-date = 2013-11-09 | publisher = [[Debian|Debian Foundation]] }}</ref>
| GPL compatible = Yes<ref name=fsf/>
| copyleft = No
| linking = Yes
}}

The '''Ruby License''' is a [[Free content|free]] license applied to the [[Ruby programming language]] and also available to be used in other projects. It contains an explicit [[dual licensing]] clause, stating that software subject to its terms may be distributed under either the terms included in the Ruby License itself or under those of either the [[GNU General Public Licence]] v2, or the [[BSD licenses#2-clause|two-clause BSD License]] (depending on the version of the Ruby License used).

The license is typically considered to be a [[free software license]] due to the presence of the dual-licensing clause.

== History ==

For versions up to 1.9.2, the Ruby programming language was available under an explicit dual-licence scheme which allowed users to choose between a dedicated Ruby licence or the [[GNU General Public Licence]] v2 (GPLV2), which is one of the most common free software licences.

Starting at version 1.9.3, the dual-licensing clause changed to offer the choice of the [[BSD licenses#2-clause|FreeBSD License]].

== Compatibility ==

The Ruby License has unusual [[copyleft]] requirements, stating that redistributions should not necessarily be under the terms of the Ruby license, but placed "in the [[Public Domain]] or otherwise [[free software|Freely Available]]". For example, a modified form of a program licensed under the Ruby license may be placed under the [[BSD licenses#2-clause|FreeBSD License]], which is a non copyleft license.

The Ruby License is approved by the [[Free Software Foundation]] and is considered compatible with the GNU General Public License, due to its explicit [[dual-licensing]] clause.<ref name="fsf">{{cite web|title=Various Licenses and Comments about Them|url=https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html#Ruby|publisher=GNU Foundation|language=en}}</ref>

The [[Open Source Initiative]] does not explicitly include the Ruby license as a certified an open source license; this is considered "unnecessary" due to the dual licensing clause.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-discuss_lists.opensource.org/2002-February/004828.html |title=Ruby license |date=2002-02-03 |access-date=2020-05-17 |mailing-list=license-discuss |first=David |last=Johnson}}</ref>

In discussion over the change of the dual licensing clause on the debian-legal mailing list, it was noted that while the Ruby license itself is arguably not compatible with the [[Debian Free Software Guidelines]], this is unimportant due to the dual-licensing clause.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2011/05/msg00018.html|title = Re: License check: Ruby 1.9.3}}</ref>

Software under Ruby license (including the older version when GPLv2 was a listed alternative Ruby 1.9.2 license) may be included in binary form within an Apache product if the inclusion is appropriately labeled.<ref>{{cite web|title=ASF Legal Previously Asked Questions|url=https://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html#ruby-license|website=www.apache.org|language=en}}</ref>

== Adoption ==

Software other than the [[Ruby programming language]] itself which uses the Ruby License includes:

* [[JRuby]], an implementation of Ruby atop the Java Virtual Machine
* [[MacRuby]], an implementation of Ruby 1.9 directly on top of Mac OS X core technologies such as the Objective-C runtime and garbage collector, the LLVM compiler infrastructure and the Foundation and ICU frameworks. MacRuby contains code from the Ruby project <ref>{{cite web|title=MacRuby/MacRuby|url=https://github.com/MacRuby/MacRuby/blob/master/COPYING|website=GitHub|date=14 February 2022|language=en}}</ref> and the source code of the most MacRuby examples, unless specified, are covered by the Ruby license.<ref>{{cite web|title=MacRuby/MacRubySamples|url=https://github.com/MacRuby/MacRubySamples/blob/master/README.rdoc|website=GitHub|date=May 2021|language=en}}</ref>
* [[RubyGems]], a package manager for Ruby
* [[IronRuby]], an implementation of Ruby targeting the [[.NET Framework]]
* The JSON implementation for Ruby<ref>{{cite web|title=JSON implementation for Ruby|url=https://flori.github.io/json/|website=flori.github.io|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

{{refs}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/about/license.txt Text] of the Ruby License

[[Category:Ruby (programming language)]]
[[Category:Free and open-source software licenses]]

Ruby License - Revision history

imported>Fluyt: Removed improper capitalisation and "open source" part (a license doesn't have source code), added link.