IBM Offers Cloudscape DB Code to Apache Server

In a Reuters article, IBM offers database codes to the open source. IBM said that current programming code of Cloudscape, a database product written in Java programming language, will be given to nonprofit Apache Software Foundation that spearheads open source projects.

"IBM estimated the value of its contribution to be about $85 million (45 million pounds). The open source project will be called Derby.



Software written in Java can run on computers with Microsoft Windows as well as other operating systems.



'Our whole motivation is to accelerate more innovation,' around Java, said Janet Perna, general manager of IBM's data management business. She said IBM uses Cloudscape in more than 70 of its products. 'If we found this useful,' others would also find it useful, she said."

Groklaw was a little guarded about the donation but went on to say:

"I am not positive about the *whole* motivation part, but any way you look at it, it's a lovely gift. Cloudscape has more than a half a million lines of code."

Indeed, this is a nice gift to say the least.



But there also appears to be some confusion over the licensing of Cloudscape. According to IBM, Apache will hold the licensing and intellectual property rights for Cloudscape ... yet a NY Times article has quoted IBM as releasing it to the "public domain". Groklaw states that they cannot have it both ways according to the Apache Licensing pages. Apache is not (never has been) part of the GPL in essence.



I have been a little busy of late, so I am slow on picking up on this bit of news (Aug. 3rd). But to date there has been no mention of the gift at the Apache Software Foundation.



Thanks to Mushroom, a fellow BoGGer, for calling this to our attention.