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Licensing Issues with Open Source Software

Using open source software can lead to many licensing issues.

Open source licenses

Open source licenses

  • Not all open source software can be used in exactly the same way.
  • Different licenses determine what can be done with the software's source code.
Licenses

Licenses

  • A license is a set of rules which tell a consumer what they can and cannot do with a piece of software.
  • For example:
    • You can / cannot distribute this software.
    • You can / cannot resell this software.
Open source programming

Open source programming

  • If you create a project which makes use of open source components, licensing issues can get very complicated.
  • Usually, open source licenses state that if you use the open source software in a project, then your project must also be open source licensed. This can affect your ability to sell your software.
  • Things can get very tricky when multiple components are used, all with different licenses.
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Computer Systems

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