views:

244

answers:

3

I know I'm openning a can of worms, but I'm stuck after a good few days of research.

I am looking for a Software License for an Open Source project. (Yet another Website content management tool, but that's not the point).

I want release the source with the following;

  • allow free use of software (individuals and companies)
  • free use of output (it's a website)
  • make private modifications
  • no public distribution of original or modified version
  • attribute original author
  • make no charge for consulting or services based on software or derived versions

Because I've writen code based on my own professional experience, I would not want my hard work be taken up by an associated company (previous employer) and exploited commercially. I would be happy for companies or individuals to use my software for their website.

GPL and MIT both allow "for sale". Creative Commons advise against using their license for software.

Update
Agreed that the term "Open Source" is probably incorrect.
Marked answer is exactly what I was looking for - many thanks!

+4  A: 

What you describe sounds like "Freeware with Source included" to me. Thats a less common form to distribute software, but it exists. I know that form especially from Delphi VCL components, maybe thats a point to begin the search for a usable license that you possibly can alter to meet your own requirements.

But to be really safe on the legal side, you should meet a lawyer. Software license models are no lightweight stuff...

BloodySmartie
+5  A: 

no public distribution of original or modified version

That's in no way Open Source.

make no charge for consulting or services based on software

That's in no way justifiable or enforceable.

bobince
I agree that in reality the license for a 2bit software project is probably never going to be enforced. I've put in a few hundred hours into this project so why should someone else profit?
Dead account
"So why should someone else profit" - in that case you want a commercial licence. Maybe a commercial licence that gives access to source, but still it's a different ethos to the Open Source world.
bobince
+1  A: 

You might want to take a look at POV-Ray's licensing. There's an end-user license, a distributor's license and a modification license, all of which seem to combine to allow source distribution but without the POV-Ray "brand" being diluted or the codebase forked. It's in Debian's "non-free" repository, mind you, so can't be considered open source.

timday
Some more background on POV-Ray licensing at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POV-Ray#Licensing
timday