Open software licenses

Adapted from Wikipedia 9-6-2014 This is a comparison of published free software licenses.

General comparison

The following table compares various features of each license and is a general guide to the terms and conditions of each license.

Note that a "yes" in either of the last two columns (Link with code using a different license and Release changes under a different license) is not an absolute answer, there may still be restrictions in the license related to this action. You should review the specific license terms[1] and refer to the reference table[2] for more details regarding a "yes" in these columns. Also note that "no" in Link with code using a different license-column is not absolute, e.g. for GPL, see: GPL compatibility.

License Author Latest version Publication date Link with code using a different license Release changes under a different license
Academic Free LicenseLawrence E. Rosen32002YesYes
Affero GPLFree Software Foundation32007only AGPLv3 + GPLv3No
Apache LicenseApache Software Foundation2.02004YesYes
Apple Public Source LicenseApple Computer2.02003August 6, 2003YesNo
Artistic LicenseLarry Wall2.02000YesWith restrictions
Berkeley Database LicenseOracle Corporation?2008February 7, 2008NoNo
BSD licenseRegents of the University of California??YesYes
Boost Software License?1.02003August 17, 2003YesYes
CeCILLCEA / CNRS / INRIA2.02005May 21, 2005NoNo
Common Development and Distribution LicenseSun Microsystems1.02004-12December 1, 2004YesYes
Code Project Open LicenseThe Code Project1.02007YesNo
Common Public LicenseIBM1.02001May 2001YesNo
Cryptix General LicenseCryptix Foundation?1995YesYes
Eclipse Public LicenseEclipse Foundation1.02004-02February 2004YesNo
Educational Community License?1.0?YesYes
Eiffel Forum LicenseNICE22002YesYes
EUPLEuropean Commission1.12009January 2009YesWith an explicit compatibility list
Fair LicenceJames W. PyeN/A2004YesYes
GNU General Public LicenseFree Software Foundation3.02007June 2007NoNo
GNU Lesser General Public LicenseFree Software Foundation3.02007June 2007YesNo
Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License AgreementHacktivismo/Cult of the Dead Cow?2002November 26, 2002??
IBM Public LicenseIBM1.01999August 1999YesYes
Intel Open Source LicenseIntel Corporation??YesYes
ISC licenseInternet Systems Consortium?2003June 2003YesYes
LaTeX Project Public LicenseLaTeX project1.3c?YesYes
MIT license / X11 licenseMITN/A[note 1]1988YesYes
Mozilla Public LicenseMozilla Foundation2.02012January 3, 2012YesLimited
Netscape Public LicenseNetscape1.1?YesLimited
OPaC Free Public LicenseOPaC bright ideas?1998NoNo
Open Software LicenseLawrence Rosen3.02005YesNo
OpenSSL licenseOpenSSL Project??Yes?
PHP LicensePHP Group3.01?YesYes
Public DomainN/AN/AN/AYesYes
Python Software Foundation LicensePython Software Foundation2?YesYes
Q Public LicenseTrolltech??NoNo
Sun Industry Standards Source LicenseSun Microsystems??YesNo
Sun Public LicenseSun Microsystems??YesNo
Sybase Open Watcom Public License???YesNo
W3C Software Notice and License???YesYes
XCore Open Source LicenseXMOS?2011February 2011YesYes
XFree86 1.1 License???YesYes
zlib/libpng license???YesYes
Zope Public LicenseZope Foundation2.1?YesYes
  1. ↑ Was never revised.

Approvals

This table lists for each license what organizations from the free software community have approved it - be it as a "free software" or as an "open source" license - and how those organizations categorize it. Organizations usually approve specific versions of software licenses. FSF approval means that the Free Software Foundation (FSF) considers the license free software as they don't approve of proprietary software, however they also recommend that licenses be at least "Compatible with GPL" and preferably copyleft (usually).

License and specific version FSF "approval"[3] Compatible with GPL[4][5][6][7][8] OSI approval[1] Copyfree Initiative approval[9][10] Debian approval[11][12] Fedora Project approval[13]
Academic Free LicenseYesNoYesNo?Yes
Affero GPL version 3YesYes[note 1]YesNoYesYes
Apache License version 1.1 and 1.0YesNoYesNoYesYes
Apache License version 2YesYes[note 1]YesNoYesYes
Apple Public Source License version 1.xNo[14]NoYesNoNoNo
Apple Public Source License version 2.0YesNoYesNoNoYes
Artistic License 1.0No[note 2]NoYesNoYesNo
Artistic License 2.0YesYesYesNoYesYes
Berkeley Database LicenseYesYesYesNoYesYes
Original BSD licenseYesNoNo[15]NoYesYes
Modified BSD licenseYesYesYesYesYesYes
Boost Software LicenseYesYesYesYesYesYes
CeCILLYesYesYesNoYesYes
Common Development and Distribution LicenseYesNoYesNoYesYes
Common Public LicenseYesNoYesNoYesYes
Creative Commons licenses (Tags: by & sa)YesNo?No≥ v3.0 only[16]Yes
Creative Commons licenses (Tags: nc & nd)NoNoNoNoNo[16]by-nd only
Cryptix General LicenseYesYesNoYesYesYes
Do What The Fuck You Want To Public License (WTFPL)Yes[note 3]YesNo[17]YesYesYes
Eclipse Public LicenseYesNoYesNoYesYes
Educational Community LicenseYesYes[note 1]Yes??Yes
Eiffel Forum License version 2YesYesYes?YesYes
Fair License?YesYesYes?Yes
GNU General Public LicenseYesYesYesNoYesYes
GNU Lesser General Public LicenseYesYesYesNoYesYes
Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License AgreementNoNoNo?NoNo
IBM Public LicenseYesNoYesNo[10]YesYes
Intel Open Source LicenseYesYesYes??No
ISC licenseYes[18]YesYesYesYesYes
LaTeX Project Public LicenseYesNoYesNo[10]YesYes
Microsoft Public LicenseYesNoYesYes?Yes
Microsoft Reciprocal LicenseYesNoYesNo?Yes
MIT licenseYesYesYesYesYesYes
Mozilla Public License version 1.1YesNoYesNoYesYes
Mozilla Public License version 2.0YesYes, unless marked "Incompatible with Secondary Licenses".[19]YesNoYesYes
Netscape Public LicenseYesNoNo??Yes
Open Software LicenseYesNoYes?NoYes
OpenSSL licenseYesNoNoNoYesYes
PHP LicenseYesNoYesNoYesv3.0/3.01 only, others are unknown
POV-Ray-LicenseNoNoNo?No?
Python Software Foundation License 2.0.1; 2.1.1 and newerYesYesYesNoYesYes
Q Public LicenseYesNoYes?NoYes
Reciprocal Public License 1.5NoNoYes??No
Sun Industry Standards Source LicenseYesNoYes??Yes
Sun Public LicenseYesNoYes??Yes
Sybase Open Watcom Public LicenseNoNoYes?NoNo
W3C Software Notice and LicenseYesYesYesNoYesYes
XFree86 1.1 LicenseYesYes[note 1]No???
zlib/libpng licenseYesYesYesNoYesYes
Zope Public License version 1.0YesNo?No?Yes
Zope Public License version 2.0YesYesYesNo?Yes
  1. 1 2 3 4 Compatible with version 3 of the GPL but not version 2.
  2. ↑ The original version of the Artistic License is defined as non-free because it is overly vague, not because of the substance of the license. The FSF encourages projects to use the Clarified Artistic License instead.
  3. ↑ Listed as WTFPL

Article comparison[20]

License Version Include license Include source Linking State changes Commercial use Distribution Modification Patent grant Private use Sublicensing No liability No trademark
Apache License2.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
BSD 3-Clause LicenseYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
BSD 2-Clause LicenseYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
GNU General Public License2.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYes
GNU General Public License3.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
GNU Lesser General Public License2.1YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
GNU Lesser General Public License3.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
MIT LicenseYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Mozilla Public License2.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Eclipse Public License1.0YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Affero General Public LicenseYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Generic copyright [note 1]YesYesNoNoYesNo
  1. ↑ For comparison purposes: Copyright [year] [fullname]

References

  1. 1 2 Open Source Initiative. "The Approved Licenses". License Information. Open Source Initiative.
  2. ↑ Rusin, Zack. "Open Source Licenses Comparison". Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  3. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "Various Licenses and Comments about Them". Licenses. Free Software Foundation.
  4. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "To be GPL-Compatible has to be compatible with Licenses GNU GPLv3 and GNU GPLv2Template:Spaced ndashFree Software Foundation". Software Licenses. Free Software Foundation.
  5. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "GPL-Compatible Free Software LicensesTemplate:Spaced ndashFree Software Foundation". Software Licenses. Free Software Foundation.
  6. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "GPL-Incompatible Free Software LicensesTemplate:Spaced ndashFree Software Foundation". Software Licenses. Free Software Foundation.
  7. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "GPL-compatible Definition by FSFTemplate:Spaced ndashFree Software Foundation". GPL-compatible Definition. Free Software Foundation.
  8. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "GPL-compatible Definition previous version by FSFTemplate:Spaced ndashFree Software Foundation". GPL-compatible Definition. Free Software Foundation.
  9. ↑ Copyfree Initiative. "Copyfree Licenses". Copyfree Initiative.
  10. 1 2 3 "Rejected Licenses". CopyFree Initiative. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Debian. "DebianTemplate:Spaced ndashLicense information". Licenses. Debian.
  12. ↑ "The DFSG and Software Licenses". Debian wiki.
  13. ↑ Fedora. "LicensingTemplate:Spaced ndashFedoraProject". Licenses. Fedora Project.
  14. ↑ "Apple Public Source License (APSL), version 1.x". Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  15. ↑ "3-clause BSD License at OSI".
  16. 1 2 "DFSGLicenses".
  17. ↑ "OSI Board Meeting Minutes, Wednesday, March 4, 2009".
  18. ↑ Free Software Foundation. "A Quick Guide to GPLv3". Licenses. Free Software Foundation.
  19. ↑ Mozilla Foundation. "MPL 2.0 FAQ". Licenses. Mozilla Foundation.
  20. ↑ Github, Inc.. "Licenses - ChooseALicense.com". Retrieved 2014-05-31.
This article is issued from Appropedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.