Open Source Licensing: Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law

The CPL contains a reciprocity obligation much like the one in the GPL. Software licensed under the CPL can be used to create a derivative work (e.g., Program ) which can then be distributed by a Contributor under its own license agreement. But that other license agreement is required to be very like the CPL:

A Contributor may choose to distribute the Program in object code form under its own license agreement, provided that:

a) it complies with the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and

b) its license agreement:

... iv) states that source code for the Program is available from such Contributor, and informs licensees how to obtain it in a reasonable manner on or through a medium customarily used for software exchange. ( CPL section 3.)

Of course, this only pertains to derivative works distributed in object code form . For derivative works distributed in source code form, the CPL is more restrictive :

When the Program is made available in source code form:

a) it must be made available under this Agreement; and

b) a copy of this Agreement must be included with each copy of the Program. ( CPL section 3.)

Most derivative works of CPL-licensed software are distributed under the CPL itself, not some other license made to comply with it.