There are lots of difference software licenses. The GPL is pretty strict and aims to keep software "free". Many projects use more liberal license, e.g. that are more "business friendly". Are there any good resources for people to read to decide what is a good license to use? If you have released licensed software, what license(s) do yo...
Is there a risk of legal trouble if you include GPL or LGPL licensed icons in a closed source software? Would it force it to become open source just to include the icon? Does it matter if the icon is compiled as a resource? Are the creative common licensed icons safe to use if you follow the attribution rules specified by the licen...
I've found a unmaintained program I have a need for, but it's not perfect, so I would like to fork it and to continue fixing it. The current version is licensed under the GPL (version 2 and up), but I would prefer to integrate my version with some other code I wrote, licensed under the MIT, and combine them all to a usable library. The...
The company I work for develop and sell a proprietary, closed-source software application. Our application uses third party open-source projects licensed under open source licenses such as GPL and LGPL. For instance, we use Hibernate as an ORM. Sometimes we modify and build upon these third party projects. What is required of us to not...
Now that Java is OpenSource do their respective licenses enable or encumber a merge? ie: Are the licenses of the Apache Commons and OpenJDK licenses compatible enough to codebases into say OpenJDK 8? RE-DIRECT: Having taken onboard Cowan's response I have created two threads, one for each license, to explore how to achieve s...
I would like to start a project using the GPLv3 license; utilising existing GPLv2 code and Apache License, Version 2.0 code. Please keep answers here specific to GPLv2 licensed code transitioning into a piece of GPLv3 licensed code. Thanks. What are the encumberances in changing a piece of GPLv2 licensed code into a piece of GPLv3 lic...
I would like to start a project using the GPLv3 license; utilising existing GPLv2 code and Apache License, Version 2.0 code. Please keep answers here specific to Apache License, Version 2.0 licensed code transitioning into a piece of GPLv3 licensed code. Thanks. What are the encumberances in changing a piece of Apache License, Version ...
Do the terms of the GPL apply to an application if the open-sourced code it incorperates only exists in debug (internal-use only) versions of the software? For example, I take a GPL unit testing framework and build that into my closed source application. I conditionally include this code ONLY in a special build of the software used inte...
Whats the easiest way, of telling if I can redistribute it in a piece of commercial software? In license agreements I often read the terms GPL, OpenSource, Freeware, Artistic License but have never got a definitive answer on what the differences are. ...
Consider following steps: 0) Release open source Mock Program and Mock Plugin which communicate by certain interface (I), exchanging complex data structures, sharing memory and calling each other. Apply all-permissive license to it. 1) Release Plugin designed for working with any program in the way defined by interface (I). This plugin...
What files do I need to put the header comment in for adding GPL to a C# project? Does form generated code require it? Does just need to be in every *.cs file? Is there a resource or in-depth list of language-specific steps required to add GPL to any kind of project? ...
The specific case I'm thinking about is writing Clojure programs that are GPLed. I've seen cases where GPLed software was using incompatible licenses (Erlang's, which is like MPL) just by adding an exception to the license agreements. Is that possible with the CPL? ...
I know there are a few different Traveling Salesman projects out there and I've played with LKH a bit, but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on any other ones? My project is GPL'ed so I would need something that is compatible with that license. ...
I have been considering suggesting to my managers that certain software (and material) that we have developed in house could be released as Open Source. Convincing management types to give away our stuff for free is a little hard, however, it might be looked upon more favourably if there's an "exit clause", if you like. Is it possible t...
Say for example, I've written some code under GPL 3. My company wants to use that code for a commercial product. Am I allowed to then say to them that they can use it under LGPL/MIT or any other license? If so, would I then have to change the included header at the top of each file? If so, what is stopping someone else from changing the ...
I read the high level details on CC-GNU GPL 2.0, and Creative Commons used by SO. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not sure I get the specific pros and cons of each variation of open source license. What is the difference between the popular GPL's and Creative Commons' licenses in terms of what a software developer or company has to gain or lo...
Hi everybody I would like to find out more about the GNU GPL, and in particular how it pertains to a particular commercial project I wish to undertake. I have just read the license, and have obviously heard about GPL for many years, but I have some specific questions that I hope learned people here can answer: If I want to add additi...
Regarding the following excerpt of this comment: AFAIK, it's fine to interact with GPL code over a network adapter. It's not normally OK (again, AFAIK) to have code that's more tightly coupled than that, particularly if your code can't function without the GPL code, but that's a gray area. So if I want to use a graphics...
I'm looking for a free (GPL or BSD-type license) outliner library that works in a browser. It doesn't have to be too complicated, just allow keyboard control of collapsing and expanding items, and changing their order. Anyone know a good library for this? Do any of the big UI component libraries have an outliner? If not, how would I g...
I'm not a lawyer and I would prefer a layman's description of the two. Anyone know? ...