1A. HISTORY OF THE SOFTWARE 2========================== 3 4Python was created in the early 1990s by Guido van Rossum at Stichting 5Mathematisch Centrum (CWI, see http://www.cwi.nl) in the Netherlands 6as a successor of a language called ABC. Guido remains Python's 7principal author, although it includes many contributions from others. 8 9In 1995, Guido continued his work on Python at the Corporation for 10National Research Initiatives (CNRI, see http://www.cnri.reston.va.us) 11in Reston, Virginia where he released several versions of the 12software. 13 14In May 2000, Guido and the Python core development team moved to 15BeOpen.com to form the BeOpen PythonLabs team. In October of the same 16year, the PythonLabs team moved to Digital Creations, which became 17Zope Corporation. In 2001, the Python Software Foundation (PSF, see 18https://www.python.org/psf/) was formed, a non-profit organization 19created specifically to own Python-related Intellectual Property. 20Zope Corporation was a sponsoring member of the PSF. 21 22All Python releases are Open Source (see http://www.opensource.org for 23the Open Source Definition). Historically, most, but not all, Python 24releases have also been GPL-compatible; the table below summarizes 25the various releases. 26 27 Release Derived Year Owner GPL- 28 from compatible? (1) 29 30 0.9.0 thru 1.2 1991-1995 CWI yes 31 1.3 thru 1.5.2 1.2 1995-1999 CNRI yes 32 1.6 1.5.2 2000 CNRI no 33 2.0 1.6 2000 BeOpen.com no 34 1.6.1 1.6 2001 CNRI yes (2) 35 2.1 2.0+1.6.1 2001 PSF no 36 2.0.1 2.0+1.6.1 2001 PSF yes 37 2.1.1 2.1+2.0.1 2001 PSF yes 38 2.1.2 2.1.1 2002 PSF yes 39 2.1.3 2.1.2 2002 PSF yes 40 2.2 and above 2.1.1 2001-now PSF yes 41 42Footnotes: 43 44(1) GPL-compatible doesn't mean that we're distributing Python under 45 the GPL. All Python licenses, unlike the GPL, let you distribute 46 a modified version without making your changes open source. The 47 GPL-compatible licenses make it possible to combine Python with 48 other software that is released under the GPL; the others don't. 49 50(2) According to Richard Stallman, 1.6.1 is not GPL-compatible, 51 because its license has a choice of law clause. According to 52 CNRI, however, Stallman's lawyer has told CNRI's lawyer that 1.6.1 53 is "not incompatible" with the GPL. 54 55Thanks to the many outside volunteers who have worked under Guido's 56direction to make these releases possible. 57