Can I restrict how people use an open source licensed program?

Can I restrict how people use an open source licensed program?

In particular, copyleft -style Open Source licenses require that, in at least some cases, when you distribute the software, you must do so under the same license you received it under. Can I restrict how people use an Open Source licensed program?

Are there any questions about the Open Source Initiative?

Here are answers to questions we are frequently asked. If you have a question not addressed here, please contact us. What is “Open Source” software? Can Open Source software be used for commercial purposes? Can I restrict how people use an Open Source licensed program? Can I stop “evil people” from using my program?

How are open source licenses applied to the source code?

Think of it this way: Open Source licenses are always applied to the source code — so if you’re not distributing the source, then you’re not distributing the thing to which an Open Source license applies. You might or might not distribute binaries; that’s a separate question.

Is it legal to use copyrighted material on GitHub?

GitHub does not include any useful default licensing terms in its terms of service; the most likely scenario is that any use of the copyrighted material in one of those no-license projects is formally a breach of copyright.

Can you sell software under an open source license?

You can even sell Open Source software. However, note that commercial is not the same as proprietary. If you receive software under an Open Source license, you can always use that software for commercial purposes, but that doesn’t always mean you can place further restrictions on people who receive the software from you.

What does a permissive open source license mean?

A “permissive” license is simply a non-copyleft open source license — one that guarantees the freedoms to use, modify, and redistribute, but that permits proprietary derivative works. See the copyleft entry for more information. Only if it uses one of the approved licenses, and releases appropriate software.

When is an open source license not a copyleft license?

Most copyleft licenses are Open Source, but not all Open Source licenses are copyleft. When an Open Source license is not copyleft, that means software released under that license can be used as part of programs distributed under other licenses, including proprietary (non-open-source) licenses.

What happens if you don’t distribute open source software?

Distributing and Using Open Source Software. If you don’t distribute source code, then what you are distributing cannot meaningfully be called “Open Source”. And if you don’t distribute at all, then by definition you’re not distributing source code, so you’re not distributing anything Open Source.

What should be my problem domain in programming?

My problem domain is ethernet, voice, and video protocols. In other words, all the stuff that has nothing to do with the language I’m programming in, but that I still must understand in order to write the software. If you’re making a website for selling photography services, the problem domain is photography and ecommerce.

What happens if you don’t have a license for GitHub?

However, without a license, the default copyright laws apply, meaning that you retain all rights to your source code and no one may reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from your work. If you’re creating an open source project, we strongly encourage you to include an open source license.