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Black Duck Software, the leading global provider of software component management solutions, today introduced the "Open Source License Resource Center" (http://www.blackducksoftware.com/oss), an online guide of particular interest to companies developing or deploying software that includes code governed by version three of the GNU General Public License (GPL) or Lesser General Public License (LGPL). Coupled with the availability of protexIP™/development 4.4, the company`s solution for managing composite software development, Black Duck Software provides customers an accurate process to speed development and avoid licensing complications when using open source code.
Since the Free Software Foundation announced version three of the GPL and LGPL, a variety of services companies have provided information related to adoption of the licenses. Open source projects are not required to publish under the new version, and their decisions related to LGPLv3 or GPLv3 will impact thousands of companies around the world that have incorporated the projects` code into applications. The guide provides information on a number of open source licenses, and Black Duck Software is the first company to provide an online resource with information based solely on open source projects that have publicly published code under the new license versions.
"We took time and care to ensure that our information is the most accurate available, and to integrate it with protexIP to provide a solution that can be used to speed development and avoid licensing roadblocks," said Douglas Levin, president and CEO of Black Duck Software. "As the market leader, Black Duck has cut through the hype, clarifying the confusing information provided by some would-be open source services companies and giving customers what they need. And as of today, the industry can share that accurate information as well through our public online guide."
According to Black Duck and as illustrated in the online resource center, approximately 900 open source projects have published code under the new licenses. Black Duck tracks projects that have explicitly decided to switch and those that have said they will not. Since the new GPL licenses are not compatible with earlier versions, the nuance of whether a project has made a decision is significant to any company`s policy on use of that project`s code.
The information on the guide appearing on Black Duck Software`s website is aligned with the company`s KnowledgeBase, the library of licensing and other data related to open source components used by protexIP and other company solutions. Black Duck customers use the website`s licensing information pages to make informed policy decisions about use of code governed by the new licenses. protexIP can then help enforce those policies throughout the development process.
Current and future customers will rely on one key enhancement within protexIP 4.4 to compare code to more than one version of the GPL license at the same time. For example, if the result of that comparison shows a closer match to GPLv3 than other versions of the license, there is a strong likelihood the code is governed by the new version. protexIP 4.4 also includes administrative enhancements, the ability for end users to add their own comments for specific licensing requirements, and access to a greatly enhanced KnowledgeBase that provides information about GPLv2, GPLv3, LGPLv2 and LGPLv3 and many other licenses.
As a company, Black Duck has led the industry in informing companies about open source licenses and code, third party code and other components, the ramifications of mixing software assets and the ways they can speed and compliment application development. Most recently, Black Duck hosted an online roundtable to discuss the impact of licensing decisions such as adoption of GPLv3. Roundtable participants included Chris Nadan, senior director and deputy general counsel of Sun Microsystems; Mark F. Radcliffe, partner & co-chair, Technology and Sourcing Practice Group, DLA Piper; and Larry Rosen, founding partner, Rosenlaw & Einschlag.
Visitors interested in listening to the roundtable can visit http://www.blackducksoftware.com/resources/presentations.
Pricing and Availability
protexIP 4.4 is available immediately, and the Open Source License Resource Center is available by visiting http://www.blackducksoftware.com/oss. Pricing for the product is based on the size of the code base managed by protexIP and the number of users accessing the solution. The new version and any KnowledgeBase enhancements will be delivered to existing protexIP customers automatically via a web update.
About Black Duck Software
Black Duck Software™ is the leading global provider of managed software component solutions. The company helps organizations safely use open source and third-party code components while managing their software licensing obligations and mitigating business risks. Black Duck provides products and services that help enterprises, software developers, outsourcers, law firms and investors understand the composition and origin of software. By enabling organizations to fully manage component reuse within the software development lifecycle, Black Duck helps companies produce better quality software, reduce development and maintenance costs, and speed time-to-market. For more information, visit www.blackducksoftware.com.
Black Duck Software is a registered trademark, and the Black Duck logo, exportIP, protexIP, transactIP, and Know Your Code are trademarks of Black Duck Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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