Comparison of Open Source Licenses
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
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