Background
There are a wide range of open source / free software licenses which are both popular and widely used. These licenses have much in common but differ from each other in subtle ways.
Key Points
License Comparison:
|
MIT license |
BSD License |
Apache License |
GNU License |
| Popular and widely used: |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| License type |
Permissive |
Permissive |
Permissive |
Strong Copyleft |
| Jurisdiction: |
Not Specified |
Not Specified |
Not Specified |
Not Specified |
| Grants patent rights |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Patent retaliation clause |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Specifies enhanced attribution |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| Addresses privacy loophole: |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| Includes ‘no promotion’ feature |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Discussion Questions
- Why are there so many types of licenses?
- Who governs the licenses?
- How can you choose the license type that is best for you?
Additional Resources
Free Software Foundation. (2014). gnu.org. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/-eABG
Berkeley Software Distribution. (2014). Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/-HVhd
MIT License. (2014). Open Source Initiative. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/-Zxv
Apache License. (2014). apache.org. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/-EQzq
License Differentiator. (2014). OSSWATCH. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/-rVCG