The ICU project files contain code with several kinds of copyrights. They fall into several categories:
Copyright <date> IBM and others
This is the standard copyright notice that was specified by the IBM Public License. All IBM-developed code in ICU4C and ICU4J will contain this notice. In the vast majority of cases — even where they say "and others" — files do not actually have any other contributions other than from IBM. See Code Contributions.Copyright <date> <contributor> and others
Outside developers or companies who are allowed to contribute code to ICU may have their own copyright statements. However, all material contributions are covered by a copyright agreement. See Code Contributions.Copyright <date> Free Software Foundation
ICU4C (not ICU4J) contains three build scripts with FSF copyrights:configure,config.sub, andconfig.guess. This often causes confusion, because most FSF code is covered by the GNU license, which is viral. These three files, however, contain explicit statements that they are not covered by the GPL when distributed as part of other projects, and that they may be redistributed under other licenses. For details, see FSF.Copyright <date> Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ICU4C (not ICU4J) contains one file,install-sh, with an MIT copyright. However, the file includes an explicit header saying that it can be redistributed without fee. For details, see MIT.Public Domain
ICU4C (not ICU4J) contains three files: zic.c, tzfile.h and tzselect.ksh that are in the public domain as clarified by the authors and notices in the files.Data Files
# Copyright (c) <date> Unicode, Inc.
As of Unicode 4.0.1, the license terms have been made more explicit on the files that we redistribute from the Unicode Character Database. This permitted is under the terms of the license. For details, see UCD.
Note: The text in typewriter style (mostly with a # character at
the beginning of the lines) directly under filename links is quoted directly
from those files. It shows the full copyright information from those files.
Applies to ICU4C. Does not apply to ICU4J.
Do not distribute the files mentioned in this section in a product, with binary executables. These files are used only in the ICU build process and are therefore part of the source code repository and source downloads but are not needed for product installation.
The statements for two of the files under "Free Software Foundation" are the following. Note that we do "distribute this file as part of a program that contains a configuration script generated by Autoconf" and therefore we "include it under the same distribution terms that you use for the rest of that program" (see bold quoted text below).
Further details: Development of C/C++ code that is portable across a large number of platforms and compilers requires adaptation to the many differences between them. The Autoconf tool achieves this for ICU and for many other development projects. It needs these script files in order to function. The files themselves, as published by their authors and quoted below, contain an exception to the GPL that allows commercial (non-GPL) software development using these files. The exception requires the distribution of the files. These files are part of the build setup, not part of the library source code. Shipping build files is only relevant for source downloads. ICU4C fulfills the condition by including the required files in its source download.
These files are not used for Java development and therefore do not apply to ICU4J.
./source/config.guess
./source/config.sub# Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
# Free Software Foundation, Inc.
timestamp='2001-09-04'
# This file is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
# under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
# General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
#
# As a special exception to the GNU General Public License, if you
# distribute this file as part of a program that contains a
# configuration script generated by Autoconf, you may include it under
# the same distribution terms that you use for the rest of that program.The other files have the following copyrights (they are really the same file in two different locations)
./as_is/os400/configure
./source/configure# Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
# Generated automatically using autoconf version 2.13
# Copyright (C) 1992, 93, 94, 95, 96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
#
# This configure script is free software; the Free Software Foundation
# gives unlimited permission to copy, distribute and modify it.
Applies to ICU4C. Does not apply to ICU4J.
# This comes from X11R5 (mit/util/scripts/install.sh).
#
# Copyright 1991 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
#
# Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its
# documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
# the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
# copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
# documentation, and that the name of M.I.T. not be used in advertising or
# publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific,
# written prior permission. M.I.T. makes no representations about the
# suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is"
# without express or implied warranty.
These are files that originally come from the Unicode Consortium, and as of Unicode 4.0.1 have the following license:
# Unicode Character Database
# Copyright (c) <date> Unicode, Inc.
# For terms of use, see http://www.unicode.org/copyright.html
# For documentation, see UCD.htmlFollowing that link ends up at the following license:
EXHIBIT 1
UNICODE, INC. LICENSE AGREEMENT - DATA FILES AND SOFTWAREUnicode Data Files include all data files under the directories http://www.unicode.org/Public/ and http://www.unicode.org/reports/. Unicode Software includes any source code published in the Unicode Standard or under the directories http://www.unicode.org/Public/ and http://www.unicode.org/reports/.
NOTICE TO USER: Carefully read the following legal agreement. BY DOWNLOADING, INSTALLING, COPYING OR OTHERWISE USING UNICODE INC.'S DATA FILES ("DATA FILES"), AND/OR SOFTWARE ("SOFTWARE"), YOU UNEQUIVOCALLY ACCEPT, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY, ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT DOWNLOAD, INSTALL, COPY, DISTRIBUTE OR USE THE DATA FILES OR SOFTWARE.
COPYRIGHT AND PERMISSION NOTICE
Copyright © 1991-2005 Unicode, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed under the Terms of Use in http://www.unicode.org/copyright.html.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of the Unicode data files and any associated documentation (the "Data Files") or Unicode software and any associated documentation (the "Software") to deal in the Data Files or Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the Data Files or Software, and to permit persons to whom the Data Files or Software are furnished to do so, provided that (a) the above copyright notice(s) and this permission notice appear with all copies of the Data Files or Software, (b) both the above copyright notice(s) and this permission notice appear in associated documentation, and (c) there is clear notice in each modified Data File or in the Software as well as in the documentation associated with the Data File(s) or Software that the data or software has been modified.
THE DATA FILES AND SOFTWARE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR HOLDERS INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, OR ANY SPECIAL INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE DATA FILES OR SOFTWARE.
Except as contained in this notice, the name of a copyright holder shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other dealings in these Data Files or Software without prior written authorization of the copyright holder.