Applying an Open Source Software License In the most common scenario, you will want to place a file named LICENSE at the root of your project sources. You are certainly allowed to use any appropriate file extension to identify the file’s markup — i.e. this could be LICENSE.md for markdown,.adoc for AsciiDoc,.html for HTML, and so on.
Full Answer
How to choose an open source software license?
What is Open Source?
- a work has to allow free redistribution,
- the source code needs to be made available,
- it must be possible to create further works based on it,
- there must be no limitations of who may use the work or for what purpose (so something like "no commercial use" or "no military use" won't fly with Open Source),
What are the different types of open source software licenses?
Open Source Licenses by Category
- License Index. ...
- Licenses that are "popular and widely-used or with strong communities" The below list is based on publicly available statistics obtained at the time of the Report of License Proliferation Committee.
- International licenses. ...
- Special purpose licenses. ...
- Other/Miscellaneous licenses. ...
- Licenses that are redundant with more popular licenses. ...
Which open source software license should I use?
- Amazon
- Microsoft
- Apple
- Salesforce
- Alibaba
- Tencent
- Samsung
- Huawei
Does open source software require a license?
Open-source licensed software is mostly available free of charge, though this does not necessarily have to be the case. Licenses which only permit non-commercial redistribution or modification of the source code for personal use only are generally not considered as open-source licenses.
Can you license open source software?
Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the Open Source Definition — in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. To be approved by the Open Source Initiative (also known as the OSI), a license must go through the Open Source Initiative's license review process.
How do I get an opensource license?
Applying a license to your open source projectsOpen your GitHub repository in a browser.In the root directory, click on Create new file .Name the file “LICENSE”.Click on Choose a license template .Pick one of the licenses (all the ones mentioned in this article are there).Once chosen, click on Review and submit .More items...•
Is there a license fee for open source software?
It's free: Open source software is software that is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared so that people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software.
What type of license is applicable in open source system?
Permissive. Permissive licenses are also known as “Apache style” or “BSD style.” They contain minimal requirements about how the software can be modified or redistributed. This type of software license is perhaps the most popular license used with free and open source software.
How can I use open source code legally?
If you want others to use, distribute, modify, or contribute back to your project, you need to include an open source license. For example, someone cannot legally use any part of your GitHub project in their code, even if it's public, unless you explicitly give them the right to do so.
Can you sell MIT license software?
MIT license is far more open and allows anyone to use and sell the software with or without modification. So if you use MIT licensed code inside something you want to sell you're free to do so.
What is the difference between open source and licensed software?
Unlike open-source software, a licensed solution is developed in a controlled environment by a focused team. This team of dedicated developers are the only people who can view or edit the source code, meaning that the product is heavily audited and the risk of backdoor Trojans is considerably diminished.
What is the most free software license?
As of 2015, the MIT License, a permissive license, is the most popular free software license, followed by GPLv2.
What are the four types of licenses?
Different Driver's License TypesClass D. Although it may seem odd to jump into the middle of the alphabet to start, a Class D license is the most common type of driver's license. ... Junior License (DJ) ... Commercial Driver's License (Class A, B, and C) ... Taxi and Livery (Class E) ... Motorcycles.
What is the most open source license?
MIT LicenseTop open source licenses by riskRankLicenseOSI Approved1MIT LicenseYes2Apache License 2.0Yes3ISC LicenseYes4BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” LicenseYes16 more rows•Jul 13, 2022
What is the difference between open source licenses?
There are licenses accepted by the OSI which are not free as per the free software definition. The open source definition allows for further restrictions like price, type of contribution and origin of the contribution, e.g. the case of the NASA Open Source Agreement, which requires the code to be "original" work.
Who enforces open source licenses?
Because open source licenses flow directly from the author/owner to the licensee, the only party in a legal position to enforce the GPL is the author or owner of the copyright. Intermediate distributors do not have the power to enforce except with respect to any contribution they may make.
Which open-source license has a potential high risk?
Top open source licenses by riskRankLicenseRisk1MIT LicenseLow2Apache License 2.0Low3ISC LicenseLow4BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” LicenseLow16 more rows•Jul 13, 2022
What is the most restrictive open-source license?
One of the most common restrictive licenses is the GNU GPL (General Public License).
About Open Source Licenses
Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the Open Source Definition — in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. To be approved by the Open Source Initiative (also known as the OSI), a license must go through the Open Source Initiative's license review process.
Popular Licenses
The following OSI-approved licenses are popular, widely used, or have strong communities:
All Approved Licenses
Many other licenses are also OSI-approved, but fall into other categories, such as special-purpose licenses, superseded licenses, or retired licenses. Complete lists that include all approved licenses are available:
Questions?
The OSI maintains a FAQ, which includes a lot of useful background on open source licensing, including:
How to create a license file in GitHub?
GitHub makes it even easier: Open your GitHub repository in a browser. In the root directory, click on Create new file. Name the file “LICENSE”. Click on Choose a license template. Pick one of the licenses (all the ones mentioned in this article are there). Once chosen, click on Review and submit. Commit the file.
When must source code be made public?
The source code must be made public whenever a distribution of the software is made. Modifications of the software must be released under the same license. Changes made to the source code must be documented. If patented material was used in the creation of the software, it grants the right for users to use it.
What is the most restrictive license?
One of the most restrictive licenses is GPL. One of the most permissive licenses is MIT. Other popular licenses are Apache License 2.0 and BSD. To apply a license on your GitHub project, you need to create a LICENSE file using GitHub’s license templates.
What is MIT license?
MIT is one of the most permissive licenses. It is also the most popular one. It offers very low protection for the author of the software. The source code doesn’t need to be public when a distribution of the software is made. Modifications to the software can be release under any license.
What is an OSI?
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a non-profit corporation with global scope formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open source community.
Does Linux use GPL?
Linux uses GPLv2. Ezequiel Foncubierta pointed something important for GPL licenses: The license of your source code must be compatible with the license of the open source code you are linking to. For instance, if your code is proprietary, you won’t be allowed to use a library under the GPL license.
Can software be modified?
Software can be modified, used commercially, and distributed. Software can be modified and used in private. A license and copyright notice must be included in the software. Software authors provide no warranty with the software and are not liable for anything.
What is Open Source?
Many people think that Open Source simply means availability of the source code of a project, but that does only tell part of the whole story.
What is a license and why would I need one?
Any work that you create by default makes you the copyright holder of it. That means only you are allowed to distribute whatever you created. If you want to transfer this right to other people as well, you can do that via a so-called license.
What options are there?
Thankfully you do not have to write your own license (and frankly, neither should you, there be dragons). There are a multitude of existing licenses for you to choose from already, and I'm going to introduce you to some of the most common ones.
Permissive licenses: MIT, BSD, Apache, ..
If the copyleft philosophy isn't your thing for any reason, there is a family of quite permissive Open Source Licenses that are not viral but still offer attribution and protection against liability.
Creative Commons
If you are into hardware development, you might have come across the family of Creative Commons licenses. Creative Commons is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure of licensing - you have a base license which rules out warranty, and various modules that you can attach to it as well if you want:
Public Domain, CC0, Unlicense, ..
It might happen that you also come across software that has been released into the Public Domain, meaning that all copyright claims have been forfeit. This concept seems to be quite attractive to people who really just want to set their code free and don't care at all what happens to it.
So how do I license my Open Source project?
Depending on whether your project is stand-alone or building on the work of others, there are different things to consider.
What are the three licenses for open source?
More than 60% of open source projects use one of the following three licenses: MIT ( permissive ), GPL (copyleft), or Apache 2.0 (permissive). Here are they key elements of each:
Why are licenses important for open source software?
Licenses tell the world the conditions under which they can and can’t use an open source project. Ultimately, licenses ensure that open source software developers — the community of minds behind many of today’s most innovative technologies — are able ...
What license does Rails use?
Open source software like Babel, .NET Core, and Rails uses the MIT license, which is permissive. Notice how these projects are used by companies to build their programs. . On the other hand, Ansible and Bash use GNU GPLv3, a copyleft license.
What happens if you choose a copyleft license?
If you choose a copyleft license, anyone who uses your code will have to share their code in the same way. . Many open source licenses dictate how or if the software can be used in commercial applications.
What is a copyleft license?
Copyleft Licenses. These require that anyone who releases a modified open source program must also release the source code for that program. This type of license generally allows users to change and re-share your creation as long as they also include their source code for others, too. Common Licenses.
What is a beerware license?
For example, the Beerware License allows users to do anything with your project material as long as the original copyright is retained. If the users like and happen to meet the author, they are obligated to buy the author a beer. (In some versions, users are encouraged to drink a beer in honor of the author.) .
What is permissive license?
Permissive Licenses. These place little restriction on how others can use your source code and re-share your software. They also generally have a high level of license compatibility, meaning you can legally combine multiple pieces of software and distribute them together.
What is copyleft license?
Copyleft licenses, also known as reciprocal licenses or restrictive licenses, allow you to modify the code and distribute new works based on it, as long as you meet the requirements for redistribution under the same license. Different licenses have different scopes.
What is FOSS software?
Some forms of free and open source software (FOSS) allow you to use, modify, and distribute the code in your work without direct attribute . That’s what most developers think when they use FOSS. But other open source licenses don’t give you that freedom. These more restrictive open source licenses might oblige you to make your proprietary project ...
What is the most restrictive license?
One of the most common restrictive licenses is the GNU GPL (General Public License). Its cousin, the AGPL (Affero General Public License), is also becoming more popular, as it closes the SaaS loophole found in the GPL. A note about unlicensed code: “Unlicensed” does not mean “public domain.”.
What is a semi-permissive license?
Semi-permissive licenses, sometimes referred to as limited licenses, weak copyleft licenses, or simple copyleft licenses, are considered medium risk because if you modify the code, you have to release the modifications, but not your whole application, under the same license.
Can you manage legal risk with open source?
As long as you are managing your use of open source (i.e., you know what’s in your codebase and what kind of licenses are attached), you can manage your legal risk. But be aware that very few organizations track their open source use well, if at all. The others are all exposing themselves to legal risk.
Is OpenSSL a free software?
The current licensing on OpenSSL is Apache-style. That means it’s a permissive free software license. However, OpenSSL is also dual licensed, so read the download library files carefully.
Who owns copyright for unlicensed code?
By default, the copyright for unlicensed code belongs to its creator, who must grant explicit permission for you to use it. The safest way to approach unlicensed code is to treat it as proprietary (i.e., not open source).
What is an open source license?
Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the terms of open source software. Open source licenses set the conditions of how software code can be shared and the level to which the authors are protected. All software (even open source software) that is going to be public needs to be governed by a license that protects ...
What is permissive license open source?
An organization that uses permissive-license open source in a product could deploy that software behind some form of digital rights management (DRM) regulation. What this means is that no one outside of the company can access the “open source” software, so it is essentially closed source software.
What is permissive license?
Permissive licensing is a form of open source licensing that allows a person or company to use that software to create products that require a paid license. An example of this type of license is the Apache 2.0 license by the Apache Software Foundation. It is the most popular and widely used permissive license.
Why is a nonpermissive license important?
It is the most widely used nonpermissive license. Nonpermissive licenses guarantee the freedom of developers and end-users. When you improve upon the source code and it benefits your company, you have to give it back to the community. This level of sharing is required to ensure the openness of the software.
What is permissive license?
A permissive license is simple and is the most basic type of open source license: It allows you to do whatever you want with the software as long as you abide by the notice requirements. Permissive licenses provide the software as-is, with no warranties. So permissive licenses can be summarized as follows:
Who developed Linux?
Linus Torvalds, a teenager in Finland, developed the first Linux kernel as a school project. Meanwhile, the GNU Project has been formed to develop those tools, and when those two parts were combined, a free alternative to UNIX was available.
What is distribution in software?
In simple terms, distribution refers to transferring a copy of a copyrighted work ( such as software) from one legal person to another. The concept of distribution matters because the requirements of open source licenses are triggered only when software is distributed.
Can a person who does not distribute software violate an open source license?
Thus, a person who does not distribute software cannot violate an open source license’s terms. And because “legal person” includes a corporation, there is no distribution—and therefore no risk of violating a license’s terms—if software is merely transferred between employees of the same company.
Is Affero GPL a distribution license?
For most open source licenses, the answer is no. Indeed, GPLv3 uses the term “convey” rather than “distribute,” precisely to clarify that SaaS use does not trigger any license requirements. But the Affero GPL (AGPL) license is one exception that takes a different approach.
What licenses allow commercial use of FOSS?
Yet, many FOSS licences, like the Apache License, and all Free Software licences allow commercial use of FOSS components.
Does OSI promote or favor any of the above resources?
The OSI does not promote or exclusively favor any of the above resources, but instead mentions them as a neutral, separate third-party. ^ "Relationship between the Free Software movement and Open Source movement", Free Software Foundation, Inc. ^ "What is Free Software", Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Does OSI support FSF?
The OSI does not endorse FSF licence analysis (interpretation) as per their disclaimer. The FSF's Free Software definition focuses on the user's unrestricted rights to use a program, to study and modify it, to copy it, and redistribute it for any purpose, which are considered by the FSF the four essential freedoms.
Is GPLv3 compatible with GPLv3?
As a result, the licenses are not compatible: if you tried to combine code released under both these licenses, you would violate section 6 of GPLv2. However, if code is released under GPL "version 2 or later," that is compatible with GPLv3 because GPLv3 is one of the options it permits.
Choosing An Open Source Software License
What Open Source Licenses Permit and Prohibit
- This is an important topic that you should understand before you publish your open source software under any given license. Once again, we offer a diagram courtesy of the BSD Magazine:
Copyright and Contributor Licensing Agreement
- In addition to the open source license, if you peek at any existing popular project’s source code, you will undoubtedly find a copyright statement at the top of most files. For instance, the top of most Ruby files in the Ruby on Rails source code have the following: # frozen_string_literal: true #-- # Copyright (c) 2004-2021 David Heinemeier Hansson # # Permission is hereby granted, free o…
Warranty Waiver and Liability
- One of the key aspects of most open source licenses is the warranty waiver clause, which typically reads like this: This is yet another good reason to include a license in your project. It explicitly absolves you — the author — of any damages your library or a tool may cause, for instance, in a commercial production environment. The developers that choose to use your soft…
Summary
- To summarize, for new projects we recommend using the built-in features of your source code repository provider such as GitHub and GitLab to apply an open source license to your project. If you are looking to use a permissive license, the MIT Licenseis the most popular and allows anyone to use your creation in any form, commercial or not. Speaking of the popularity, here are …
About Open Source Licenses
- Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the Open Source Definition — in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. To be approved by the Open Source Initiative (also known as the OSI), a license must go through the Open Source Initiative's license review process.
Popular Licenses
- The following OSI-approved licenses are popular, widely used, or have strong communities: 1. Apache License 2.0 2. BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" license 3. BSD 2-Clause "Simplified" or "FreeBSD" license 4. GNU General Public License (GPL) 5. GNU Library or "Lesser" General Public License (LGPL) 6. MIT license 7. Mozilla Public License 2.0 8. Common Development and Distrib…
All Approved Licenses
- Many other licenses are also OSI-approved, but fall into other categories, such as special-purpose licenses, superseded licenses, or retired licenses. Complete lists that include all approved licenses are available: 1. sorted by name (alphabetical) 2. sorted by category
Questions?
- The OSI maintains a FAQ, which includes a lot of useful background on open source licensing, including: 1. Can Open Source software be used for commercial purposes? 2. What is "free software" and is it the same as "open source"? 3. What is "copyleft"? Is it the same as "open source"? 4. What is a "permissive" Open Source license? 5. Which Open Source license should I c…
The Authority
The Licenses
- Most open source licenses include the following statements: 1. Software can be modified, used commercially, and distributed. 2. Software can be modified and used in private. 3. A license and copyright notice must be included in the software. 4. Software authors provide no warranty with the software and are not liable for anything. We will go through the most popular licenses, in ord…
Applying A License to Your Open Source Projects
- Licensing your projects is easy. You need to add a LICENSE, LICENSE.txt or LICENSE.mdin the root directory of your repository. GitHub makes it even easier: 1. Open your GitHub repository in a browser. 2. In the root directory, click on Create new file. 3. Name the file “LICENSE”. 4. Click on Choose a license template. 5. Pick one of the licenses (a...
in Summary…
- One of the most restrictive licenses is GPL.
- One of the most permissive licenses is MIT.
- Other popular licenses are Apache License 2.0 andBSD.
- To apply a license on your GitHub project, you need to create a LICENSEfile using GitHub’s license templates.
What Is Open Source?
What Is A License and Why Would I Need One?
What Options Are there?
"Copyleft" Licenses: Gpl, AGPL, LGPL
Permissive Licenses: MIT, Bsd, Apache, ...
Creative Commons
Public Domain, Cc0, Unlicense, ...
So How Do I License My Open Source Project?
- Depending on whether your project is stand-alone or building on the work of others, there are different things to consider. If you are creating a standalone project, you can freely decide on a license. Take a look at other projects in your development community, or similar projects, and what they have chosen. Make sure you understand the license yo...
Tl;Dr
Further Reading