Licensing Issues
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 2.2.9
Licensing Issues with Open Source Software
Using open source software can lead to many licensing issues.
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
- 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
- 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.
Test yourself on Licensing Issues
What kind of components can cause licensing issues when used in commercial projects?
If you use an open source component within your software, your software must often have what kind of license?