A very small number of libraries use the GPL , which only allows linking with proprietary works if the licensor grants an explicit exception. Thus, you are wise to check the licenses that your program links to. The community expects that all code linked to GPL code will be licensed under the GPL, even if the link is made at runtime using a shared library. As long as you own that source code, all that you need to do is choose one of the approved Open Source licenses , include a copy of the license text, typically in a filenamed "COPYRIGHT", including a statement saying that you are licensing the code under that copyright, and give it to somebody else!
Of course, you probably want to give it to a lot of people in order to gain the maximum benefit from giving away your code. A number of websites will help you do that: berlios.
While languages like PHP , Perl or Python have implementations that are licensed under Open Source licenses, that doesn't turn all code written in these languages or run under such implementations into Open Source.
The code written in such languages or run under such implementations would need to be licensed under an approved Open Source license in order to be Open Source. Colloquially, to "distribute" a program means to give someone else a copy of its code — either its source code, or its binary executable code, or both. Merely allowing people to invoke a program on your server, for example via networked API calls, does not constitute distribution of the program as generally understood.
To avoid confusion, some licenses use the terms "propagate" and "convey" instead of "distribute". Propagation includes copying, distribution with or without modification , making available to the public, and in some countries other activities as well.
The definition for "convey" narrows it down, however: " Mere interaction with a user through a computer network, with no transfer of a copy, is not conveying.
In a legal context, you may wish to use similar precision. Not all programs have separate source and binary forms. For programs written in so-called "scripting" languages there is generally only a source code form though sometimes compressed, for example via the minification often performed on Javascript code prior to distribution.
But other programming languages are typically compiled to an architecture-specific executable form and can optionally be distributed as executables without source code. The distinction between source code and executable form is important for understanding the terms and conditions of some open source licenses, so if you don't have the necessary technical background, you should consult someone who does.
The Open Source Initiative is not a legal services organization and generally cannot help you when someone is violating a copyleft license. However, as of late , one of the organizations below may be able to help note that most of the enforcement they do is about the GNU GPL and AGPL licenses, though in theory they can help enforce other copyleft licenses too :.
You can sell services based on the code i. The only kind of profit strategy that is incompatible with Open Source is monopoly-based sales, also known as "royalties". See this article for how to think about business strategies that make money from Open Source. Also, this survey of open source leaders including many OSI Directors provides several business models for Free and Open Source software.
Yes, you can. But depending on the license, you probably can't stop your customers from selling it in the same manner as you. See the commercial use for more details. No, at least not any more than they could otherwise. Open Source is about software source code, not about identity. That is, letting people use your code under an Open Source license is not the same as letting them use your trademarks or other identifying attributes, except insofar as they would be permitted to anyway for example, in nominative use doctrine.
There are many companies and other organizations that release open source code while exercising tight control over their trademarks. Trademarks and other marks of attribution are primarily about preventing public confusion over identity and provenance, and therefore trademark regulation is useful in Open Source software in the same way it is useful generally.
Alas, no, it is a trademark and we need to retain control over it. Please see our Trademark and Logo Usage guidelines. You can always use a trademark in a truthful manner to refer accurately to an entity. Yes, but you don't have to ask permission. It's always okay to link to anybody 's site. Linking to something is like saying its name and address out loud.
Generally, yes. Look at the bottom of each page for the Creative Commons License. That gives you fairly broad permission to re-use the material; read the license to see the exact permissions. The best place to discuss an issue about an open source license, or about a potential open source license, is on our license-discuss mailing list, about which you can read more on our mailing lists page.
You do not have to be subscribed to post, but posts from non-members are moderated solely to prevent spam , so please be patient if it takes a few days for your first post to show up. For questions about submitting new licenses, you may also want to read about the license approval process. We are not a legal services organization and we can't give you legal advice. If you want legal advice, you need to have an attorney-client relationship with a lawyer.
Even if the lawyer is pro bono , there still needs to be a formal client arrangement. Without giving you legal advice, we can still give you advice about community norms and expectations. It won't be legal advice, but you may find it useful when talking with your lawyer or, if necessary, coming to a decision without the help of a lawyer.
The OSI's work, and thus funding support, focuses on the creation and curation of resources that enable, promote, and protect open source software development, adoption, and communities.
The OSI cannot directly fund your open source software project, we fund projects that raise awareness and adoption of your open source software project. If you are looking for funding opportunities and other resources to support your open source software development project, you may want to try and join, or align your project with an existing open source software community. If you can find a complimentary project or supporting foundation much of the work needed to develop your own community of practice will be done.
It will also introduce you and your software to other projects, developers, contributors, and sponsors who are working on similar or aligned efforts, understand your project and its value, and thus may want to collaborate with you to see it succeed as a part of their larger work, project, and or foundation.
Unfortunately, we can't; Open Source is now too big for us to keep track of all the people and activities in it. A web search engine is your best bet. For specific software packages, you may also find it useful to look in Freecode. Visit the lists page, and click on the appropriate "unsubscribe" link to generate the necessary email request.
Most open source projects are run via online discussion forums: mailing lists, wikis, chat rooms, etc. We encourage you to find a project you care about, look at their web site to see what kinds of discussion forums they're using, and join those forums. We do not personally answer surveys. Read this for more information. If you're a for-profit corporation that uses or produces open source software and pretty much every corporation falls into at least one of those categories these days!
The OSI web site uses the Drupal content management system Drupal is, of course, open source software. The web page content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4. However, the web pages are stored in our Drupal database, so it's not as if one can "check out" a copy of the OSI web site using a version control system as is typically done with software projects and send a change back to us using a patch, pull request, or other method commonly used in open source software projects.
Instead, just contact us with your proposed change, and we'll review it by email. For over 20 years the Open Source Initiative OSI has worked to raise awareness and adoption of open source software, and build bridges between open source communities of practice.
As a global non-profit , the OSI champions software freedom in society through education, collaboration, and infrastructure, stewarding the Open Source Definition OSD , and preventing abuse of the ideals and ethos inherent to the open source movement.
Open source software is made by many people and distributed under an OSD-compliant license which grants all the rights to use, study, change, and share the software in modified and unmodified form. Software freedom is essential to enabling community development of open source software.
Skip to main content. Home Contact Donate Login. Search form. Frequently Answered Questions. Can Open Source software be used for commercial purposes? Can I restrict how people use an Open Source licensed program?
Can I stop "evil people" from using my program? What is "free software" and is it the same as "open source"? What is "copyleft"? Is it the same as "open source"? What is a "permissive" Open Source license? Can I call my program "Open Source" even if I don't use an approved license? While both programs are free to use, their source codes are unavailable to the public. Most developers usually market freeware as freemium or shareware with the intention of encouraging users to buy a more capable version.
Freemium refers to a program that is offered at no cost, but money premium is paid for extra, more capable features. Shareware refers to a program that is initially available without any costs attached, and users are encouraged to distribute copies. However, that cost-free period usually lasts for a certain period; thereafter, a user is required to pay for continued use.
For example, if you want to release your created program freely to the open source community, ensure you do sufficient research to understand the limitations and responsibilities of the licensing you select. Thanks for visiting DZone today,. Edit Profile. Sign Out View Profile. Over 2 million developers have joined DZone.
In this, a developer takes a look at the difference between the various types of software, and how developers can take advantage of each of them. Michael Garbade. Like Join the DZone community and get the full member experience.
Join For Free. Free Software Let me make this clear beforehand: the word 'free' in 'free software' emphasizes freedom, not price.
The FSF asserts that a free software must adhere to the following four pillars of freedom which are rights and not obligations : The freedom to deploy the software for any use case without any restrictions.
For example, saying that the license of a program expires after 30 days makes it non-free. The freedom to study how the software works and modify it according to your needs and preferences. The freedom to freely re-distribute the software to assist someone in need. The redistribution can be done at a cost or at no cost. The freedom to enhance the performance of the software and release your enhancements for the community to benefit—both programmers and non-programmers. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. When using a component under a popular licence like these, what are the restrictions for using them without paying in a commercial product?
A great resource for understanding open source licenses is the very comprehensive, interactive license differentiator , from Oxford Universities OSS Watch. This asks questions based on the assumption that you want to find a license for your own software, but turn it around and you could also use it to determine which licenses are are suitable depending on the way you want to use other peoples software. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.
Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Which licenses are free for commercial use? Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 9 months ago. Active 4 years, 1 month ago. Viewed 17k times. Improve this question.
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