The document discusses the importance of open source licenses, outlining their role in determining usage, re-use, and distribution of software. It highlights different types of licenses, including permissive and copyleft licenses, and emphasizes the significance of selecting the appropriate license for projects. Additionally, it stresses the necessity of specifying a license to avoid risks and maintain control over code direction.

1. OPEN SOURCE
LICENSES 101
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
AKA: How I learned to stop worrying and love Licenses

2. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
ABOUT ME
• Apache Software Foundation
• Co-founder, Director, Member and Developer
• Director
• Outercurve, MARSEC-XL, OSSI, OSI (ex)…
• Developer
• Mega FOSS projects
• IANAL
• Sr. Director: Tech Fellows: Capital One

3. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
WHAT’S IN YOUR PROJECT?

4. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
LICENSES

5. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
WHY?
• Copyright is the default
• Open Source is everywhere
• The license determines use, re-use and distribution
• Not understanding means risk

6. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
LICENSE GOALS
• Ensure what parts remain open source
• Maintain control over code and direction
• Provide common implementation for standards
• Build community or commercial marketplace
• For most end-users, this is the sole touch-point

7. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
FREE SOFTWARE
• “Free” as in “free speech” (not as in “free beer”, although free beer is
good!)
• Software freedom is a moral imperative.
• Free Software Definition:
• 4 basic freedoms must be maintained
• Free Software ~== Open Source
• F(L)OSS

8. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
OPEN SOURCE
• For software to be Open Source, it must be under an OSI approved
Open Source License
• Open Source Definition: http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd
• 10 criteria
• At last count, over 60 exist
• New Open Source licenses are very hard to get approved
• There are really 3 main types

9. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
PROMISES

10. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
LET’S PRETEND
==

11. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
USE

12. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
MODIFY

13. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
SHARE

14. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
GIVE ME CREDIT
Permissive:
ALv2
MIT
BSD

15. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
GIVE ME FIXES
Weak Copyleft:
EPL
LGPL

16. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
GIVE ME EVERYTHING
Strong Copyleft
GPLv2
GPLv3
AGPL GPL
GPL
GPL
GPL
GPL GPL
GPL GPL
GPL
GPL
GPLGPL
GPL
GPL
GPL

17. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
TAKE AWAYS
• A license is a tool. There is no “always right” license
• Take time to decide on the right license type
• Changing licenses can be very difficult
• Avoid “vanity” licenses
• ALWAYS specify a license!

18. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. All images property of their respective copyright holders
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
THANKS!
• Jim Jagielski
• @jimjag (follow me!)
• http://www.jimjag.com/
• http://slideshare.net/jimjag/
• jimjag@gmail.com