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Microsoft announced today the release of the .NET Framework source code under the Microsoft Reference License.

Find more about it.

It’s finally here as you can see in Free and Open Source Java.

The key behind moving to the GPL is to drive more volume and more adoption for the platform. The GPL helps get Java into some markets that it hasn’t served as fully as it should - such as educational markets, governments in the developing world, and some commercial customers - as well as, obviously, some distributions of Linux which insist not on Linux-friendly licenses but on actual GPL licensing.

GPLv2 was chosen over GPLv3 for fairly obvious reasons: GPLv3 isn’t finished yet! Sun is, they said, working with the FSF on defining GPLv3.

Read the complete news.

Update: “HOWTO: Pick an open source license (part two)” is now available.

Ed Burnette gives us a simple step-by-step approach for choosing an open source license.
It covers such concerns as: control over usage, use in closed-source environments, reciprocal code contributions, and monetary concerns.

Here is a resume of what you can find in the article:

• Do you want to relinquish any control over how your code is used and distributed?
  • NO: put it in public domain and you’re done, don’t copyright it, and don’t license it “public domain” is is not a good choice because in many jurisdictions you can’t give up your copyright. Use a liberal license like MIT/BSD instead.
  • YES: Copyright it, and ask: Do you want to allow people to use your code in non open-source programs?
    • NO: release it under the GPL.
    • YES: If somebody uses your code in their program and sells their program for money, do you want some of that money?
      • YES: Dual-license (Examples: MySQL, JBoss) or use a closed-source license.
      • NO: Use a “commercial-friendly” license, and ask: If somebody uses your code and improves it (fixes bugs or adds features) do you want to make them give you the improvements back so you can use them too?
        • YES: Use a reciprocal license (Examples: Eclipse (EPL), Solaris (CDDL), Firefox (MPL)).
        • NO: Use a non-reciprocal license (Example: FreeBSD (BSD)).

From “HOWTO: Pick an open source license (part one)“.