List of all types of #Software_Licenses
= No License - #Open_Source
- Type : None
- Clauses : 0
# Without a license, the code is #copyrighted by default. People can read the code, but they have no legal right to use it. To use the code, you must contact the author directly and ask permission. #UnhappyGhost
= Public Domain - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 0
# If your code is in the public domain, anyone may use your code for any purpose whatsoever. Nothing is in the public domain by default; you have to explicitly put your work in the public domain if you want it there. Otherwise, you must be dead a long time before your work reverts to the public domain #Geekschool
= #GPL_License - Open Source
- Type : #CopyLeft
- Clauses : 12
# The archetypal bearded, sandal-clad free software license. Your code can never be used in any #proprietary program, ever! Take that, capitalism! #Geeksch00l
= #LGPL_License - Open Source
- Type : Mostly CopyLeft
- Clauses : 16
# GPL with a cleverly-constructed pressure valve release. Your free software can be binary linked to proprietary programs under certain very specific circumstances.
= #MIT / X11 License - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 2
# Short and sweet. Includes generic legal disclaimer of liability.
= #BSD_License - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 2
# Short and sweet. Includes legal disclaimer of liability with explicitly named organization.
= #Apache License - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 9
# Requires derivative works to provide notification of any licensed or proprietary code in a common location.
= #Eclipse_Public_License - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 7
# Business friendly. Allows derivative works to choose their own license for their contributions.
= #Mozilla Public License - Open Source
- Type : Weak CopyLeft
- Clauses : 13
# Allows liberal mixing with proprietary software.
= MS Permissive License - Open Source
- Type : Permissive
- Clauses : 3
# Resembles the MIT and BSD licenses. Not formally accepted by OSI, and also offered in a "Windows-only" LPL variant.
= MS Community License - Open Source
- Type : CopyLeft
- Clauses : 3
# Resembles the GPL license. Requires all contributed code to be returned to the community. Not formally accepted by OSI, and also offered in a "Windows-only" LCL version.
= MS Reference License - Proprietary
- Type : Read Only
- Clauses : 3
# You can review the code, or make copies of it, but you can't use it or change it in any way. Allows a window (no pun intended) on formerly completely proprietary, secret code.
Yet here is a more elaborate of the most widely used Licenses
GNU General Public Licence (GPL)
The GNU General Public Licence, or GPL as it's often called, is the most popular free software licence and it's used by many different projects, including the Linux kernel, the GNU tools and literally hundreds of others.
Here's a quick summary of what it means. Basically, you're allowed to use, redistribute and change the software, but any changes you make must also be licensed under the GPL. So that means you have to give everyone else the same rights as you got. Fair's fair, right?
You can find the legal text for the GPL here : http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
There are also other restrictions and there's quite a nice human-readable version at the Creative Commons site : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/GPL/2.0/
The GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL)
The LGPL is similar to the GPL, but is more designed for #software_libraries where you want to allow non-GPL applications to link to your library and utilise it. If you modify the software, you still have to give back the source code, but you are allowed to link it with proprietary stuff without giving the source code to all of that back.
Again, there's a nice friendly look at this on the Creative Commons site :
The BSD Licence
In contrast to the GNU licences, the BSD licence is very permissive. Used originally by the BSD operating system, it covers a fair amount of software.
The BSD basically says "here's the source code, do whatever you want with it, but if you have problems, it's your problem". That means you can take BSD'ed code and turn it into a proprietary application if you so wish - there's nothing saying you have to give the code back (although it is nice to do so).
The BSD licence is very small because it is so simple, and often looks like this:
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of the [[whoever]] nor the names of contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
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