Editing Ghostscript (section)

== History ==
Ghostscript was originally written by [[L. Peter Deutsch]] for the [[GNU Project]], and released under the [[GNU General Public License]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/8.00/News.htm |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025140244/http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/8.00/News.htm |archive-date=2016-10-25 |date=2002-11-21 |access-date=2021-03-19 |title=Recent changes in Ghostscript |website=pages.cs.wisc.edu}}</ref> At the time of the initial release there was a similar commercial software product named GoScript from LaserGo.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kraul |first=Chris |date=1989-05-02 |title=Printing Up a Package for Success: LaserGo Software Offers Cheaper Desktop System |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-02-fi-2436-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2022-09-09}}</ref> Later, Deutsch formed ''Aladdin Enterprises'' to [[Multi-licensing|dual-license]] Ghostscript also under a [[proprietary software license|proprietary license]] with an own development [[Fork (software)|fork]]: ''Aladdin Ghostscript'' under the [[Aladdin Free Public License]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/5.50/Public.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930222959/http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/5.50/Public.htm|archive-date=2017-09-30 |access-date=2021-03-19 |title=Aladdin Free Public License}} (mirror)</ref> (which, despite the name, is not a free software license, as it forbids commercial distribution) and ''GNU Ghostscript'' distributed with the ''GNU General Public License''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/5.50/New-user.htm#Find_Ghostscript |title=Background information for new users of Ghostscript |website=pages.cs.wisc.edu}}</ref> With version 8.54 in 2006, both development branches were merged again, and dual-licensed releases were still provided.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.advogato.org/person/raph/diary.html?start=411 |title=Advogato: Blog for raph |date=29 June 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629021353/http://www.advogato.org/person/raph/diary.html?start=411 |archive-date=29 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=http://ghostscript.com/News.html |url-status=dead |title=Ghostscript leading edge is now GPL! |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003082642/http://ghostscript.com/News.html |archive-date=2016-10-03 |date=2006-06-07 |access-date=2021-03-19 |author=raph}}''"I have some great news to report. The leading edge of Ghostscript development is now under GPL license, as is the latest release, Ghostscript 8.54."''</ref>

Ghostscript is currently owned by Artifex Software and maintained by Artifex Software employees and the worldwide user community. According to Artifex, as of version 9.03, the commercial version of Ghostscript can no longer be freely distributed for commercial purposes without purchasing a license, though the (A)GPL variant allows commercial distribution provided all code using it is released under the (A)GPL.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.artifex.com/indexlicense.htm |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220215621/http://www.artifex.com/indexlicense.htm |archive-date=2009-02-20 |title=Artifex Software Inc. |access-date=2021-03-19 |website=Artifex Software Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robitaille |first=Jason |date=2009-12-04 |title=Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Palm |url=http://www.webosnation.com/copyright-infringement-lawsuit-filed-against-palm |access-date=2021-03-19|website=webOS Nation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/download/gov.uscourts.cand.222215/gov.uscourts.cand.222215.1.0.pdf |title=Complaint for Copyright Infringement |at=p. 4: 15., p. 6: 27. |date=2009-12-02 |access-date=May 3, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/download/gov.uscourts.cand.222215/gov.uscourts.cand.222215.28.0.pdf |title=Notice of Voluntary Dismissal With Prejudice |date=2011-02-07 |access-date=2021-03-19}}</ref>

In February 2013, with version 9.07, Ghostscript changed its license from GPLv3 to [[GNU Affero General Public License|GNU AGPL]].<ref name=AGPL>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-devel/2013-February/009410.html |title=[gs-devel] Ghostscript 9.07 and GhostPDL 9.07 |last=Liddell |first=Chris |date=2006-02-19 |access-date=2021-03-19 |archive-date=2021-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120214531/https://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-devel/2013-February/009410.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artifex.com/page/licensing-information.html |title=Licensing Information |access-date=2014-05-08 |website=Artifex Software Inc. |archive-date=2014-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512233517/http://www.artifex.com/page/licensing-information.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which raised [[license compatibility]] questions,{{clarify |these being? |date=August 2020}} for example by [[Debian]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2014/05/msg00165.html |title=Re: Ghostscript licensing changed to AGPL |author=Jose Luis Rivas |date=2014-05-06 |access-date=2021-03-19 |website=lists.debian.org}}</ref>

Starting with release 9.55.0 Ghostscript has two built-in PDF interpreters. Until spring 2022, up to Ghostscript version 9.56.1, the default PDF interpreters implementation itself was coded in PostScript. The new default PDF interpreter has been rewritten in C entirely, and is faster and more secure than its predecessor, while its interface and graphics library have not changed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ghostscript : PDFI - The NEW Ghostscript PDF Interpreter is now the default! |url=https://www.ghostscript.com/blog/pdfi.html |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=www.ghostscript.com}}</ref> Scripting the new C written PDF interpreter from PostScript is still possible.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ghostscript and the PostScript Language - Scripting the PDF interpreter |url=https://ghostscript.com/doc/9.56.1/Language.htm#PDF_scripting |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=ghostscript.com}}</ref>