The orginal software and related information is available at. Copyleft licenses like gpl are, generally speaking, bad for business. What is foss licensesapache, bsd, gpl, lgpl explained. The apache software foundation uses various agreements to accept regular contributions from individuals and corporations, and to accept larger grants of existing software products. Apache nifi supports powerful and scalable directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic. Apache 2 software can therefore be included in gplv3 projects, because the gplv3 license accepts our software. Apache lucene is a free and opensource search engine software library, originally written completely in java by doug cutting. To minimize software engineering problems, such as mixing code under different licenses, bsd licenses should be encouraged. The common understanding while i was working on apache code a while back was that you could incorporate bsd, mit, and similar licensed libraries but you could not do the same for gpl based licenses. Software licensing gpl agpl bsd mit apache eula youtube. All packages produced by the asf are implicitly licensed under the apache license, version 2. The lgpl on the other hand has the requirement that either the lgpl library links dynamically and can be replaced by a user or the entire work must be released under a gplcompatible opensource license. Join the openoffice revolution, the free office productivity suite with over 290 million trusted downloads. Bsdlicense spot the differences due to the helpful visualizations at a glance category.
Why you should use a bsd style license for your open source. Even better, for a substantial program, use the apache 2. The free software foundation considers the apache license, version 2. Mit license spot the differences due to the helpful visualizations at a glance category. Webbased user interface seamless experience between design, control, feedback, and monitoring. The following table compares various features of each license and is a general guide to the terms and conditions of each license. A bsd license gives a small company the equivalent of software inescrow without any legal complications or costs. It also contains a patent license and retaliation clause which is designed to prevent patents including patent trolls from encumbering the software project. In this article, we take a look at the difference between this two licenses to find out why. Mar 12, 2015 ianal, but common interpretation of mit license is that it does not require you to redistribute license test of original project when you distribute it in binary form e. Apache fop comes with a number of libraries all of which are currently coming from within the apache software foundation. Linus torvalds says gpl v3 violates everything that gplv2 stood for duration. What if i create a competing service but give it away for free. Principal difference between bsd and mit licenses is.
Unless otherwise noted all files in xml commons are covered under the apache license version 2. Non software enterprises like banks or states and folk like your dad benefit a lot from gpl license. They require all modifications, and any software based on the open source. The apache software license was based in large part on bsd and mit style licenses. Differences in distribution, linking, modification, private use of open source licenses like mit, gnu gpl, apache 2. To inspect the license terms please consult the license and notice files in the root directory of the distribution. We welcome enquiries from maintainers considering particular licenses. Gnu project the gnu operating system and the free software. Reskin tool for developer android no coding without. Software licenses in plain english lookup popular software licenses summarized ataglance.
The gpl license is copyleft, therefore you must disclose your source code and make your modified version of your code open source as well. Key differences the difference between the gpl and the lgpl is that with the lgpl, the entire work doesnt have to have the same license. Subject to the terms and conditions of this license, each contributor hereby grants to you a perpetual, worldwide, nonexclusive, nocharge, royaltyfree, irrevocable except as stated in this section patent license to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell, import, and otherwise transfer the work, where such license applies only to those. The asf was formed from the apache group and incorporated on march 25, 1999. Jim jagielski, president and cofounder of the apache software foundation, discusses open source licenses and governance models. The apache license does not place any restrictions on software that links to a plugin or library that is distributed under the apache license. For software licensed under the apache license version 2. Apache openoffice is the free and open productivity suite from the apache software foundation apache openoffice features six personal productivity applications. In 1989, version 1 of the gnu general public license gpl was published. If the software developer did this, they would immediately lose their right to use the library under the apache license. The apache license is a permissive free software license written by the apache software foundation asf. The build produces two sets of binaries one set that falls under the elastic.
Unlike the apache license, the gpl embeds the decision as to the codes open source nature into the code itself. This page presents the opinion of some debianlegal contributors on how certain licenses follow the debian free software guidelines dfsg. The content on this website, of which is the author, is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4. Java compilation software for jsp pages is provided by eclipse, which is open source software. The gpl is by far the best software license for endusers of the code. The text should be enclosed in the appropriate comment syntax for the file format.
The apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. Jan 21, 20 apache is decent model when you have expertise and money, but do not have significant market share yet. Adherents of gplstyle licensing continue to insist that all software should be free and the license must manacle any attempts to extend it with proprietary software. Bsd license example license for template files apache.
Log4j project licenses the apache software foundation. If you were wondering whether you can use apache licensed code in your commercial applications and what do you need to do in order to comply with the license heres the unofficial simple ans short answer. All software produced by the apache software foundation or any of its projects or subjects is licensed according to the terms of the documents listed below. Open source is all about giving sourcecode for free, but both these camps differ on under what terms the code be given. In 2016, according to black duck software, the wtfpl was used by less than 1% of foss projects. Windows desktop software tool apk android builder, app maker. The apache software license asl is a license scheme for free and opensource computer software foss written by the apache software foundation asf. This dooms it to being appropriate for only trivial projects. The original bsd license is also one of the first free software licenses, dating to 1988. If you modify the software, you still have to give back the source code, but you are allowed to link it with proprietary stuff without giving the source code to all of that back. The apache software foundation is a decentralized open source. The software freedom law center provides practical advice for developers about including permissively licensed source. Because of this, we will not refer to the confluent community license or any code released under it as open source. Works based on this software may be used with a proprietary license, or it may be licensed as closed source software.
What is the difference between gpl, agpl and lgpl licenses. The long and short of itif you use open source software within your software development project, any permissive license should be fine. The apache software foundation provides support for the apache community of opensource software projects. Tldrlegal provides generally good summaries of licenses. Gpl vs apachemit licenses the ethical dilemma in open source the opinion in the foss world is quite divided on the matter of these two kinds of licensing or rather camps. The gnulgpl is very popular among independent developers and companies which mainly deals with open source software. If a bsdlicensed program becomes orphaned, a company can simply take over, in a proprietary manner, the program on which they are dependent. Apr 07, 2017 differences in distribution, linking, modification, private use of open source licenses like mit, gnu gpl, apache 2. Gpl, also known as copyleft, grants permission to reuse or modify the source code to make derivative works, but if you distribute your program to others, it requires you to license your derivative work under the gpl too. It is distinguished among software licenses by its informal style and lack of a warranty disclaimer. Under gpl you cant sub license, meaning, you cant cha. The asf and its projects release their software products under the apache license. The apache license is recognised by the open source initiative as a popular and widely deployed licence with a strong community. The apache software foundation uses various licenses to distribute software and documentation, to accept regular contributions from individuals and.
Version 2 of the gpl, released in 1991, went on to become the most widely used free software license. Top 10 apache license questions answered whitesource. Heres the second post in our open source software license faq series. Comparison of free and opensource software licenses. Bsd license problem gnu project free software foundation. Some of the highlevel capabilities and objectives of apache nifi include. In 2000, the do what the fuck you want to public license was released as a publicdomainequivalent license for software. Why corporations favors the apache license over the gpllgpl.
Its a popular and widely deployed license backed by a. Gpl vs apachemit licenses the ethical dilemma in open. Asf contributor agreements the apache software foundation. This license has been superseded by the apache license, version 2. Bsd license spot the differences due to the helpful visualizations at a glance category. Bsd allows for the proprietary use of software, and allows the specific software to be used along with proprietary products.
Open source licenses grant permission for anybody to use, modify, and share licensed software for any purpose, subject to conditions preserving the provenance and openness of the software. The apache license, on the other hand, is favored by the big corporations for their open source projects. Most of these opinions were formed in discussions on the debianlegal mailing list in response to questions from potential package maintainers or licensors. The default license throughout the repository is apache license. Various licenses and comments about them gnu project. Weve compiled a list of your top 10 questions about the gpl license in the last post. What are the real life implications for an apache 2 license. An effort towards porting linux and related open source operating systems to the xbox 360.
Mit is often referred to as the x11 license, since many versions have been used by mit in the past. The apache software foundation asf is a nonprofit corporation to support apache software projects. Tldrlegal software licenses explained in plain english. Dec 29, 2011 do not use mit or bsd mit has a killer failing. Products derived from this software may not be called apache, nor may apache appear in their name, without prior written permission of the apache software foundation. Difference between different types of open sources licenses.
Free software license provider mit license, apache license 2019 apache license. The terms state that users cant remove existing, patent, trademarks and attribution notices. The apache license says do whatever you want with this, just dont sue me but does so with many more words, which lawyers like because it adds specificity. Asl allows projects and software to be freely downloaded and used, may it be in whole or in part, for personal, company or commercial purposes and without concern for. It allows users to use the software for any purpose, to distribute it, to modify it, and to distribute modified versions of the software under the terms of the license, without concern for royalties. Yet, many foss licenses, like the apache license, and all free software licenses allow commercial use of foss components. Another goal is to write homebrew applications with a legal and free software development kit consisting of the library libxenon and the appropriate crosscompiler toolchain xenontoolchain. To apply the apache license to your work, attach the following boilerplate notice, with the fields enclosed by brackets replaced with your own identifying information. The license assures your freedom to remove powered by svg edit in your modified version. Among other things, were often asking joe about software.
The names apache and apache software foundation must not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without prior written permission. Regardless of the license used, the resulting software will usually devolve to whoever actually makes the majority of the engineering changes and most understands the state of the system. The two licenses are very different from each other. Gpl, lgpl, apache, bsd, the great thing about open source code is the large amount of high quality code that is available and many embedded projects use foss code as it really speeds up development time. This is a guest post from exygys long time counsel joseph morris. If you want to use a lax, permissive noncopyleft free software license, it is much better to use the modified bsd license, the x11 license or the expat license. The full license text can also be accessed via the web from the apache licenses page. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are. Caldwell intellectual property law link to full seminar. When you want to refer specifically to one of the bsd licenses, please always state which one. Asfs objective is to provide legal protection to volunteers working on the apache project and to protect the apache brand name from being used by.
What is the difference between a bsd and a gpl license. Let say a software developer uses a library for android phones to make a game, and then makes a patent claim in an attempt to extort license fees from other users wishing to make games using the same library. You can freely use, modify, distribute and sell a software licensed under the apache license without worrying about the use of software. Media in category free software under the apache license the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. These agreements help us achieve our goal of providing reliable and longlived software products through collaborative open source software development. The following licenses are sorted by the number of conditions, from most gnu agplv3 to none unlicense. Xml commons contains some software and documentation that is covered under a number of different licenses. The apache license has some extra benefits over the bsd or mit x11 license style licenses. Or you could mention the noncopyleft license which we recommend over the other noncopyleft licenses. The confluent community license is not approved by the osi and likely would not be as it excludes the use case of creating a saas offering of the code.