If an organization pays me for a report that shows performance results of executed MIT/Apache 2.0 code, do I have to include the respective licenses?

Question

I got a awarded a contract for a report of the performance of some new software. The software is a result of two merged open-source codebases (I merged them) and some logic on top of it (including a new user interface/UI). One of the codebases is under an MIT license and the other under an Apache 2.0 license.

I am not providing the organization with any code, just performance results and screenshots of the UI (the UI shows numerical results that depend on the calculations/algorithms of the two codebases).

Do I have to include any software licensing info in the final report?

Answer 1

You can do with the output of open-source software what you want and are not bound by the software license.

If you distribute screenshots, some might argue that they might fall under some licenses if there is some special license for particular graphical elements shown and require giving credits - but most often their use in screenshots should fall under fair use or the right to cite for documentation purposes.

If you do not distribute any software, neither in binary form nor in source code form, you are not bound by the licenses which deal with distribution of the software. Unless you use a proprietary-licensed programme which restricts the usage for certain cases (e.g. no commercial use), open source software - by-definition - does not imply any usage restrictions. (Mind, that source available does not necessary imply open-source - you need to check the license).

See also the answer here: Is the output of an open source program licensed the same?

However IANAL/IANYL