The 6 Most Often Used Open Source Licenses

Obligations:
I plan on using the There are no No restrictions on No restrictions on No restrictions on No restrictions on No restrictions on
licensed software restrictions on use if the internal use as long as internal use. internal use. internal use. internal use.
internally only GPL licensed software your license otherwise
is used internally and is remains in force.
not distributed outside
the organization. You
may even combine GPL
licensed software with
proprietary licensed
software.

Can I distribute the Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes:

licensed software If the unmodified If the unmodified If the unmodified No obligation to Include a copy of the No obligation to
unmodified? licensed software will licensed software will licensed software will disclose source code. license with every copy disclose source code.
be conveyed outside be conveyed outside be conveyed outside of the source code you You may redistribute
the organization, there the organization, there the organization, there Redistribution of source distribute. the original or modified
is an obligation to make is an obligation to make is an obligation to make and binary code must code as open source or
the source code the source code the source code retain the copyright Duplicate the notice proprietary.
available to available to available to notices, and you must contained in Exhibit A in
downstream users and downstream users and downstream users and not use the name of the each file of the source You may copy and
publish the original conspicuously publish publish the original licensor to endorse or code. distribute the software
copyright notices and on each copy the copyright notices and promote products so long as you provide
warranty disclaimers. original copyright warranty disclaimers. derived from the a copy of the license
notices, warranty software. and retain the
You may not impose disclaimers, and give all You may not impose copyright, patent,
any further restrictions recipients a copy of the any further restrictions trademark and
on the recipient’s rights. license. on the recipient’s rights. attribution notices from
the originating file.
You may not impose
any further restrictions
on the recipient’s rights.
However, you may
remove additional
permissions and place
additional permissions
on material added by
you.
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New BSD Mozilla Public Apache

GPL v.2 GPL v.3 LGPL v.2.1 License License (MPL) License 2.0
1.1
 The 6 Most Often Used Open Source Licenses: page 2

Obligations:
Do I have to release Yes: Yes: Yes: No: Yes: No:
the source code of my If the modified code will If the modified code will If the modified code will No obligation to You must make the No obligation to
modifications? be conveyed externally, be conveyed externally, be conveyed externally, disclose the source source code of your disclose the source
there is an obligation to there is an obligation to there is an obligation to code of your modifications available. code of your
make the source code make the source code make the source code modifications. modifications.
for all original and for all original and for all original and Maintain a file
modified portions of the modified portions of the modified portions of the documenting Prominently notify
licensed code available licensed code available licensed code available modifications, date of users of any modified
to all downstream to all downstream to all downstream the change, and a files.
users. users. users. prominent statement
that the modification is You may add your own
You must prominently You must prominently You must prominently derived from the copyright statement
notify users what files notify users what files notify users what files original code, and and license terms to
have been modified have been modified have been modified include the name of the your modifications so
and the date of change. and the date of change. and the date of change. initial developer in the long as you do not
source code. remove any of the
Include all original Include all original Include all original original license
copyright notices and copyright notices and copyright notices and requirements.
warranty disclaimers. warranty disclaimers. warranty disclaimers
Prominently notify
You may distribute the users that the work is
GPL licensed software released under this
for a fee, but license and of any
purchasers have the additional permissions.
freedom to release it to
the public without a fee.

Can I use the licensed Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes: Yes:
software as part of a No specific restriction The US Digital No specific restriction. No specific restriction. No specific restriction. No specific restriction.
technological Millennium Copyright However, with LGPL v.3
measure? Act and similar non-US licensed software you
laws prohibit the waive any legal power
intentional to forbid circumvention
circumvention of of the technological
technological measures measures when you
designed to prevent distribute the licensed
unauthorized work.
use/access to
copyrighted works.
www.protecode.com

(Note: Canada does not

currently have any anti
circumvention laws)

(continued)

New BSD Mozilla Public Apache

GPL v.2 GPL v.3 LGPL v.2.1 License License (MPL) License 2.0
1.1
 The 6 Most Often Used Open Source Licenses: page 3

Obligations:
Can I distribute Maybe (Can I use the Maybe Yes: Yes: Yes:
licensed software Any software that licensed software as The LGPL has an No specific restriction. Unlike strong copyleft No restrictions.
(modified or contains GPL code or is part of a exemption that allows licenses, code under
unmodified) that has derived from GPL code technological for the linking of LGPL the MPL may be
been combined or must be licensed as a measure - continued) code to non-LGPL combined with code not
linked with code whole under the GPL The GPL v.3 does not code, without violating licensed under the
covered by another terms. What this means stipulate what you can the license and without MPL. When such a
licensing model? is that in order to and cannot program. requiring source code larger work has been
distribute software that However, it does state disclosure of non-LGPL created, MPL source
has combined or linked that the licensed files. code and any
GPL code with software shall not be modifications thereof
non-GPL code, the deemed part of an The license describes a must remain under the
licenses must be effective technological library as a collection of terms of the MPL,
compatible. For measure. When you software functions however non-MPL code
example, GPL v.2 is not distribute the licensed intended to be remains non-MPL.
compatible with GPL work, you waive any conveniently linked with
v.3. (See legal power to forbid application programs to
http://www.fsf.org/licens circumvention of the form executables.
ing/licenses) technological
measures. A program that is
The GPL does not designed to work with
explicitly state that the LGPL licensed
linked files create a Maybe: library by being
work derived from the Please see the above compiled or linked with
GPL code. However, it explanation for GPL v.2 it, and does not contain
is generally understood and refer to a portion of the licensed
that static linking, which http://www.fsf.org/licens library, is a work that
modifies the code of ing/licenses for a more uses the library, and is
one program, creates a in depth look at license not a derivative work
derivative work and compatibility. and therefore outside
therefore must be the scope of the LGPL.
licensed under the Any modifications to the
GPL. It is less clear licensed library itself or
whether or not dynamic any work that contains
linking creates a portions of the licensed
derivative work. library is considered a
Dynamic linking does derivative work and
not necessarily modify therefore covered by
any code. As this issue the LGPL.
has not been litigated, it
might be prudent to
www.protecode.com

assume that under the

GPL, statically or
dynamically linked files
both create derivative
works.

New BSD Mozilla Public Apache

GPL v.2 GPL v.3 LGPL v.2.1 License License (MPL) License 2.0
1.1