Open-source license
Encyclopedia
An open-source
license is a copyright
license for computer software
that makes the source code
available for everyone to use. This allows end users to review and modify the source code for their own customization and/or troubleshooting needs. Open-source licenses are also commonly free
, allowing for modification, redistribution, and commercial use without having to pay the original author. Some open-source licenses only permit modification of the source code for personal use or only permit non-commercial redistribution. All such licenses usually have additional restrictions such as a requirement to preserve the name of the authors and a copyright statement within the code. One popular set of free open-source software
licenses are those approved by the Open Source Initiative
(OSI) based on their Open Source Definition
(OSD).
has a related but distinct criterion for evaluating whether or not a license qualifies a program as free software
. All licenses qualified as free software are also considered open-source licenses. In the same way, the Debian
project has its own criteria, the Debian Free Software Guidelines
, on which the Open-Source Definition is based.
There are also shared source
licenses which have some similarities with open source, such as the Microsoft Reciprocal License (MS-RL). They are mainly used by Microsoft
and can range from extremely restrictive to comparable with free open-source software
.
Free and open-source are two distinct categories of licensing that are most often used in conjunction. It is a common misconception that open-source licenses are free software licenses. In addition, this confusion is perpetuated by free software advocates that vigorously object to "open source" being used as a term for non-free licenses. The misconception is reinforced by significant overlap in the most common licenses found in the open-source and free software communities. Most free software licenses require the release of the source code. Most open-source licenses include rights permitting modification, distribution, and commercial use.
.
.
Transparent
Requires the source code to be transparent, so that people can see how it was made.
Recombinant
Allows other artists to recreate original piece by editing, rearranging, or adding of new material.
Credited
Shows who the original creator was and who edited what.
Circulating
Ensures that the original piece of art and any variations made remain in circulation to the public.
With open-source art, a musician could put a song/beat/lyrics up and get credit for creating it. Then a different musician could change the song/beat/lyrics to their preference without getting into legal trouble.
Performing Art
Actors could recreate different plays, TV shows, and movies without getting into legal trouble or buying rights to perform copyrighted pieces.
Visual Art
Artists could change or modify images and the original creator would still receive credit for their work.
Literature
Writers would have the ability to change stories or make alternate endings, giving readers more material to enjoy.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
license is a copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
license for computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
that makes the source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
available for everyone to use. This allows end users to review and modify the source code for their own customization and/or troubleshooting needs. Open-source licenses are also commonly free
Free license
A free license is a license which grants recipients rights to modify and redistribute the software or the content, which would otherwise be prohibited by copyright law.* Free software licence* Free content license...
, allowing for modification, redistribution, and commercial use without having to pay the original author. Some open-source licenses only permit modification of the source code for personal use or only permit non-commercial redistribution. All such licenses usually have additional restrictions such as a requirement to preserve the name of the authors and a copyright statement within the code. One popular set of free open-source software
Open-source software
Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
licenses are those approved by the Open Source Initiative
Open Source Initiative
The Open Source Initiative is an organization dedicated to promoting open source software.The organization was founded in February 1998, by Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond, prompted by Netscape Communications Corporation publishing the source code for its flagship Netscape Communicator product...
(OSI) based on their Open Source Definition
Open Source Definition
The Open Source Definition is a document published by the Open Source Initiative, to determine whether or not a software license can be labeled with the open-source certification mark....
(OSD).
Comparisons
The Free Software FoundationFree Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
has a related but distinct criterion for evaluating whether or not a license qualifies a program as free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
. All licenses qualified as free software are also considered open-source licenses. In the same way, the Debian
Debian
Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...
project has its own criteria, the Debian Free Software Guidelines
Debian Free Software Guidelines
The Debian Free Software Guidelines is a set of guidelines that the Debian Project uses to determine whether a software license is a free software license, which in turn is used to determine whether a piece of software can be included in Debian...
, on which the Open-Source Definition is based.
There are also shared source
Shared source
Shared source is an umbrella term covering some of Microsoft's legal mechanisms for software source code distribution. Microsoft's Shared Source Initiative, launched in May 2001, includes a spectrum of technologies and licenses...
licenses which have some similarities with open source, such as the Microsoft Reciprocal License (MS-RL). They are mainly used by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and can range from extremely restrictive to comparable with free open-source software
Foss
Foss may refer toPeople*Foss , people with the last name Foss*Foss Shanahan , New Zealand diplomat*Foss Westcott , English bishop...
.
Free and open-source are two distinct categories of licensing that are most often used in conjunction. It is a common misconception that open-source licenses are free software licenses. In addition, this confusion is perpetuated by free software advocates that vigorously object to "open source" being used as a term for non-free licenses. The misconception is reinforced by significant overlap in the most common licenses found in the open-source and free software communities. Most free software licenses require the release of the source code. Most open-source licenses include rights permitting modification, distribution, and commercial use.
Open-source licensing in art
Open-source licensing in art is a way to share art work over the internet with controls set by the creator of the art. Open-source licensing allows the art to be accessible to everyone with little or no cost. In addition, it allows the art to be recreated or rearranged by new artists while still giving credit to the original creator. Websites like creativecommons.org give artists ways to open licenses their work and make it available to the public, thus making art an Information CommonsInformation commons
An Information Commons is an information system, such as a physical library or online community, that exists to produce, conserve, and preserve information for current and future generations. Wikipedia could be considered to be an information commons to the extent that it produces and preserves...
.
Artist's Control
Artists are able to control their work through the source code, allowing them to make their work Transparent, Recombinant, Credited, and Circulating.
Transparent
Requires the source code to be transparent, so that people can see how it was made.
Recombinant
Allows other artists to recreate original piece by editing, rearranging, or adding of new material.
Credited
Shows who the original creator was and who edited what.
Circulating
Ensures that the original piece of art and any variations made remain in circulation to the public.
Benefits of open-source art
MusicWith open-source art, a musician could put a song/beat/lyrics up and get credit for creating it. Then a different musician could change the song/beat/lyrics to their preference without getting into legal trouble.
Performing Art
Actors could recreate different plays, TV shows, and movies without getting into legal trouble or buying rights to perform copyrighted pieces.
Visual Art
Artists could change or modify images and the original creator would still receive credit for their work.
Literature
Writers would have the ability to change stories or make alternate endings, giving readers more material to enjoy.
See also
- Comparison of free software licenses
- BeerwareBeerwareBeerware is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek term for software released under a very relaxed license. It provides the end user with the right to use a particular program .-Description:...
- Dual licensingDual licenseMulti-licensing is the practice of distributing software under two or more different sets of terms and conditions. This may mean multiple different licenses or sets of licenses. Prefixes may be used to indicate the number of licenses used, e.g...
- Free software licenseFree software licenceA free software licence is a software licence which grants recipients rights to modify and redistribute the software, which would otherwise be prohibited by copyright law. A free software licence grants, to the recipients, freedoms in the form of permissions to modify or distribute copyrighted work...
- Free Software FoundationFree Software FoundationThe Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
- Jacobsen v. KatzerJacobsen v. KatzerJacobsen v. Katzer was a lawsuit between Robert Jacobsen and Matthew Katzer , filed March 13, 2006 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California...
--CAFC 1001–2008 ruling states that legal copyrights can have $0 value – supports all licenses (commercial and open-source). - Open Source InitiativeOpen Source InitiativeThe Open Source Initiative is an organization dedicated to promoting open source software.The organization was founded in February 1998, by Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond, prompted by Netscape Communications Corporation publishing the source code for its flagship Netscape Communicator product...
- Software license
External links
- The Open-Source Initiative
- http://www.rosenlaw.com/oslbook.htm — an online version of Lawrence Rosen's book Open Source Licensing: Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law (ISBN 0-13-148787-6).
- Open-Source License Quick Reference Chart — a chart comparing various aspects of open-source licenses, with the option to select your bias. Based on Zooko's document, Open-Source Reference for Choosing a Free Software License.
- Understanding Open-Source Software – by Red Hat's Mark Webbink, Esq. — an overview of copyright and open source.
- Shared Source Licenses
- Open Source Software Licensing Basics: Guide & Comparisons
- iPhone application of open-source license texts including word clouds
- Creative Commons
- Open Source Licensing for Commercial Applications
Wikibooks
- Free/Open Source Software:Localization