[epl-discuss] [Topic] Use of the terms "source code" and "object code"

[John Arthorne <John_Arthorne@xxxxxxxxxx>]

EPL makes several references to the term
"object code" without defining it. Object code is generally understood
to refer to compiled code in non human-readable form suitable for direct
execution. This term generally does not apply to interpreted languages,
although interpreted languages sometimes still undergo transformations
such  as concatenation, minification, or obfuscation. If you have
a software project with a variety of artifacts, including compiled and
interpreted code, documentation, etc, it is very unclear how any of the
object code-related clauses in the EPL apply. There are two places in the
EPL that make use of the term object code:

Section 2. Grant of Rights: this section
applies to both source and object form so the clarity of the term is not
critical here

Section 3. Requirements: this section
allows for commercial distribution of object code under a different license.
This implies that contributions written in interpreted languages, and other
 non-code artifacts such as  documentation, cannot be distributed
under a different license.

Similarly, EPL makes many references
to "source form" without definition. Does this include non-code
artifacts such as documentation? Does this include source code that has
been minified or obfuscated but is still legal source code from a technical
perspective?

I propose that EPL remove the term object
code and replace it with a more technology neutral term. For example MPL
2.0 uses the term "Executable Form". More importantly, both of
these terms should be clearly defined. Apache license also uses "Object"
form but with a more inclusive definition to avoid these ambiguities. To
throw out a concrete suggestion, MPL has nice neutral definitions here
that capture all the subtleties mentioned above:

        Source
Code Form: the form of the work preferred for making
modifications. 
        Executable Form: any
form of the work other than Source Code Form

Apache's definition is more verbose but equally valid:

        "Object"
form shall mean any form resulting from mechanical transformation or translation
of a Source form, including but not limited to compiled object code, generated
documentation, and conversions to other media types. 


John Arthorne