In this section, we perform a textual diff on the W and the P licenses to discuss these differences and their ramifications. Since the P license is permissive, it is less complex. Concretely, it does not have the following notions: - the notion of Compatible License, - Available Components, - External Material, - Complete Source, and - Source Location.
There is a difference in the definition of licensor. Firstly, the W license specifies a person to be natural or legal, whereas P does not. The P license explicitly states that a licensor conveys the source. Apparently, if you are not conveying, you’re not a licensor and most likely you can keep your modifications private.
| CERN-OHL-W-2.0 | CERN-OHL-P-2.0 |
|---|---|
1.13 'Licensor' means a natural or legal person who creates or modifies Covered Source. A person may be a Licensee and a Licensor at the same time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
1.8 'Licensor' means a person who creates Source or modifies Covered Source and subsequently Conveys the resulting Covered Source under the terms and conditions of this Licence. A person may be a Licensee and a Licensor at the same time. |
Indeed, in clause 3.2 and 3.2 of W you are obliged to make modifications available, whereas this is not required in P:
| CERN-OHL-W-2.0 | CERN-OHL-P-2.0 |
|---|---|
3.2 You may modify Covered Source, other than Notices, provided that You irrevocably undertake to make that modified Covered Source available from a Source Location should You Convey a Product in circumstances where the recipient does not otherwise receive a copy of the modified Covered Source. In each case subsection 3.3 shall apply. You may only delete Notices if they are no longer applicable to the corresponding Covered Source as modified by You and You may add additional Notices applicable to Your modifications. 3.3 You may Convey modified Covered Source (with the effect that You shall also become a Licensor) provided that You: a) retain Notices as required in subsection 3.2; b) add a Notice to the modified Covered Source stating that You have modified it, with the date and brief description of how You have modified it; c) add a Source Location Notice for the modified Covered Source if You Convey in circumstances where the recipient does not otherwise receive a copy of the modified Covered Source; and d) license the modified Covered Source under the terms and conditions of this Licence (or, as set out in subsection 8.3, a later version, if permitted by the licence of the original Covered Source). Such modified Covered Source must be licensed as a whole, but excluding Available Components contained in it or External Material to which it is interfaced, which remain licensed under their own applicable licences. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
3.2 You may modify Covered Source, other than Notices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You may only delete Notices if they are no longer applicable to the corresponding Covered Source as modified by You and You may add additional Notices applicable to Your modifications. 3.3 You may Convey modified Covered Source (with the effect that You shall also become a Licensor) provided that You: a) retain Notices as required in subsection 3.2; and b) add a Notice to the modified Covered Source stating that You have modified it, with the date and brief description of how You have modified it. 3.4 You may Convey Covered Source or modified Covered Source under licence terms which differ from the terms of this Licence provided that: a) You comply at all times with subsection 3.3; and ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- b) You provide a copy of this Licence to anyone to whom You Convey Covered Source or modified Covered Source. |
Again, P is much simpler. You have to make sure that if you convey a product, that the license are supplied with it.
| CERN-OHL-W-2.0 | CERN-OHL-P-2.0 |
|---|---|
4 Making and Conveying Products 4.1 You may Make Products, and/or Convey them, provided that You either provide each recipient with a copy of the Complete Source or ensure that each recipient is notified of the Source Location of the Complete Source. That Complete Source includes Covered Source and You must accordingly satisfy Your obligations set out in subsection 3.3. If specified in a Notice, the Product must visibly and securely display the Source Location on it or its packaging or documentation in the manner specified in that Notice. 4.2 Where You Convey a Product which incorporates External Material, the Complete Source for that Product which You are required to provide under subsection 4.1 need not include any Source for the External Material. 4.3 You may license Products under terms of Your choice, provided that such terms do not restrict or attempt to restrict any recipients' rights under this Licence to the Covered Source. |
4 Making and Conveying Products You may Make Products, and/or Convey them, provided that You ensure that the recipient of the Product has access to any Notices applicable to the Product. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |