All Questions
Tagged with license-change or relicensing
178 questions
6
votes
1
answer
371
views
Potential Syscall Note Loophole?
Linux has a syscall note which says
This exception is used together with one of the above SPDX-Licenses to mark user space API (uapi) header files so they can be included into non GPL compliant user ...
4
votes
1
answer
92
views
+50
Can I upgrade all CC 3.0 licenses to 4.0 counterparts when creating a joint dataset?
I am planning on creating a dataset which contains data with different licenses. I decided to create differently-licensed versions of my dataset that contain different combinations of data from ...
- 143
4
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Am I allowed to link code licensed under GPL to proprietary libraries?
I believe it is fairly well understood that you cannot link proprietary code to code licensed under the GPL because you're creating a derivative work and have to license it all under the GPL. ...
- 345
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do I resolve license terms conflict when forking?
A project I would like to fork clearly states that it is released under the MIT license terms and includes the relevant LICENSE file. Separately, it also has a line in its CONTRIBUTING file that ...
- 103
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Splitting LGPL License into certain folders/files
So my project tree is
Root:
Client
Java
Server
C
LICENCE
README.md
and I licensed it under LGPL v2.1, so my question is, Is it possible to put the LICENCE inside Server/C and inside Client/Java (...
3
votes
1
answer
684
views
When Bootstrap relicensed from Apache 2.0 to MIT back in 2014, could they have chosen MPL-2.0 to solve the issue they ran into?
It seems like the issue they ran into that triggered this is that Apache 2.0 was considered incompatible with GPLv2 which was hindering adoption, based on this github issue: https://github.com/twbs/...
- 33
1
vote
0
answers
35
views
AGPLv3 license notice adding to each file
So I have added code licensed under AGPLv3 license to my own project. Licensed my own project under AGPLv3 and noticed that there are no code file with license notice included only AGPLv3 license file....
- 53
0
votes
1
answer
153
views
Licensing my project derived from MIT and AGPL-3 licensed projects
So I wish to take some lead in development of my app based on projects that were not active for 4 and 2 years. One of them is MIT licensed and other has AGPL-3 license. If I were to add my own code ...
- 53
5
votes
2
answers
990
views
Is the EUPL circumventable?
The EUPL in its §1 states that "to distribute" includes
making available, online or offline, copies of the Work or providing access to its essential functionalities at the disposal of any ...
- 153
5
votes
1
answer
405
views
Correct license for dataset if source data has different licenses
I want to create a new dataset which I want to publish on e.g. Hugging Face. I plan to have multiple versions with different licenses, depending on which data I used.
I now wondered whether I can ...
- 143
18
votes
1
answer
6k
views
PySimpleGUI, until now, has been distributed under the GPLV3, but just became a subscription model. How does that work?
PySimpleGUI, a GUI framework for Python, has previously been published under the LGPLv3. They just announced that they are changing to a subscription model with PysimpleGUI 5, and that previous ...
- 291
5
votes
2
answers
169
views
Choosing an open source license for my up to now commercial project
I'm about to re-license my desktop application as open source software. For several years now, the application is published and sold under a commercial license. While working on a new version (...
- 151
4
votes
1
answer
172
views
Is it open source for allowing people who have access to the source act as if it's open source?
To make a sustainable living, we ask people who want to use our program to choose one of these options before receiving the source:
Donate/pay X amount of money
Volunteer/work for us for Y tasks
If ...
- 362
2
votes
0
answers
113
views
Are there any ways to distribute a program compiled from both CPL and AGPL source code?
GSDJVU is a CPL licensed driver for GhostScript (AGPL). According to DjvuLibre, it is legal to download the source code for both and compile them, but not to redistribute the compiled program due to ...
- 21
3
votes
1
answer
226
views
Project and Contributions use different license - how to fork
I have created a fork of a project that is releases under GPLv3 (As per LICENSE-file, GitHub and README).
However, contributions that are from the community are licensed under MIT.
Now since I want to ...
- 39
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Does reimplementing GPLv2 code in another language create a derivative work that also falls under the GPL?
I am now working with some ~2005 C CLI code, licensed as GPLv2-only. I hope to do the following things:
Port the code to a more recent environment (e.g. port to Ubuntu 22.04) (I only do this to try ...
- 111
3
votes
0
answers
26
views
If an MIT licensed repo relicenses to GPL3, is my derived project impacted in any way? [duplicate]
A year ago I participated in a group project to develop a small game for a class. My work involved level generation, and I later reused the code I wrote for the group project in a separate personal ...
- 31
2
votes
0
answers
60
views
Seeking a software license to fairly distribute income among open-source contributors, discourage closed-source OS dependency [closed]
I'm looking for a software license, wrapper, or amendment that distinguishes between users of open-source and closed-source operating systems, aiming to balance the efforts of open-source users and ...
- 21
3
votes
1
answer
665
views
Using OpenSSL in Visual Studio project
I have created a project for an application written in c++ that uses OpenSSL to implement encryption algorithms. I posted the project on GitHub, it is currently a private repo. There is an Apache 2.0 ...
- 31
10
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Can the GNU LGPL be removed from a piece of software?
Maybe I'm searching with the wrong terms, but can the GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE be removed from a software project like this browser extension? The commits in question are these
https://github....
- 203
19
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How can I protect the code from being 'rephrased' by AI to avoid license limitations?
I'm thinking of such issue (from the position of an open source/source available software developer).
In our days it is very easy to rephrase every text with the help of AI so that the meaning remains ...
- 291
2
votes
0
answers
68
views
Could a CLA be avoided by simply specifying in the license a particular owner who may grant closed source use? [duplicate]
One of the main purposes of a CLA (contributor license agreement), as I understand it, is to allow some owner of the software to have full rights to relicense the code if desired. This is rather ...
- 121
-1
votes
1
answer
66
views
If code is published in two places with different licenses and don't know which is the original
If some code is published in two different places by different people, one under the Apache license and one under no license, and I have no way to know which one is the original author (one of them ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
316
views
License change for Derivative Works of Apache-licensed software, and GPLv2 compatibility
Section 4 of the Apache License v2.0 states:
You may add Your own copyright statement to Your modifications and may
provide additional or different license terms and conditions for use,
reproduction, ...
- 3,307
3
votes
2
answers
232
views
Is it possible to move from BSD-2-Clause-Views to BSD-2-Clause without contacting previous contributors
A project I'm maintaining is currently licensed under BSD-2-Clause-Views. I want to change it to the more widely used BSD-2-Clause.
https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause-Views.html
https://spdx.org/...
- 31
4
votes
1
answer
289
views
Do old versions of code get relicensed when newer versions of the code are relicensed under a more permissive license?
An open source software is developed in a publicly-accessible source code repository. Starting from the first commit, the source code is licensed under the GPLv3. There is only one copyright holder. ...
- 743
3
votes
2
answers
356
views
Does the EPL 2.0 allow recipients to use code under the terms of any later version of the license?
Does the Eclipse Public License 2.0 (EPL 2.0) allow recipients of code licensed under the EPL 2.0 to use the code under the terms of a newer version of the EPL? For example, when the Eclipse Software ...
- 743
0
votes
0
answers
143
views
What happens if I allow "any later version" of a license but later versions violate the spirit of the original license? [duplicate]
Some software are released under the GPLv3 "or (at your option) any later version".
Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0) allows recipients of the software to use MPL-2.0 or any later version:...
- 743
3
votes
1
answer
958
views
MIT license modify package and names
I have downloaded code that is under the MIT license, and will modify parts of the code, as well as rename classes, namespaces and files, and I plan to relicense the code under one or all of the ...
- 33
3
votes
1
answer
557
views
What must you include in a derived work of an MIT project?
I am very confused about how the MIT license works in detail. In layman's terms, I understand the following:
If you distribute copies of MIT source, then you must include the license, and the rights ...
- 366
1
vote
1
answer
427
views
Do I have to remove the license on zLib-licensed code project in order for it to be integrated into a GPL3, Apache2 or MIT-licensed codebase?
As the title states, if I take one code project that is under a zlib license, and incorporate it into a GPL3, Apache2 or MIT-licensed codebase, do I have to remove the license from the code project ...
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
251
views
Can I use "public domain" data in MIT-licensed software?
I want to use a small dataset that a university professor posted on his web page (a list of English words). The data is part of a larger corpus of data that accompanies a textbook (written by said ...
3
votes
1
answer
689
views
Apache 2.0 License redistribute with package/class name change
I have been modifying an open source Apache 2.0 licensed project and now I want to re-distribute the code under the same license but under MY SET OF REPOS as the original company isn't wanting my ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
160
views
Move away from MPL 2.0 to something like CPAL
I'm the author of Fulguris which is in conflict with Styx. Both projects are MPL 2.0. Fulguris is a fork of the decade old Lightning and Styx is just a rebrand of Fulguris. See also that other open ...
- 121
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are you allowed to create a GPL fork of an MIT/Apache licensed project?
Consider the Kerla kernel. It's dual-licensed under the Apache 2.0 and MIT licenses. If I were to create a fork of that, would I be allowed to change my fork's license to the GPL? Until today, I was ...
1
vote
1
answer
94
views
Choice of and conversion between licenses
I have found an article with links to compare license types, but as there are so many, it's still very hard to decide, so I will have to keep reading, but what I hope to find are answers to the ...
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
144
views
Can I redistribute to public domain a contribution I made to an MPL 2.0 licensed project?
I made a contribution to an MPL 2.0-licensed project a while ago. I am not the maintainer of this project, I don't own it and I'm not affiliated to it in any way (apart from this specific benevolent ...
- 123
2
votes
1
answer
241
views
Does modifying build files (not source code) constitute a derivative work?
I am currently developing a library that uses libdwarf (licensed as LGPL 2.1). Suppose I modify the CMake files to get it to build with a different MSVCRT. What do I need to release and am I required ...
- 123
1
vote
0
answers
29
views
Can the license of a previously distributed binary be changed? [duplicate]
Let's say I have a programme X licensed under the GPL, to which I am the sole contributor and copyright holder. I distribute the binaries for X and provide the source code online as required by the ...
- 111
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
If a project only includes a copy of the GPL, can it be relicensed under any version?
There's a project that only includes a copy of the GNU GPLv2 accompanying it that I wish to combine with GPL-3.0-or-later code. Assume that simply including a license file applies it globally to the ...
- 73
0
votes
0
answers
36
views
Do significant changes to code allow a license change from 3-BSD to something else? [duplicate]
Suppose person X writes some library foolib, licensing it under the 3-BSD license.
Person Y now takes the foolib sources and develops it further, making significant changes: More functionality, ...
- 325
3
votes
2
answers
460
views
Grant less restricted license from an AGPL project
I have developed a library which is licensed under AGPL.
Before the library was licensed under MIT. I changed to AGPL because some commercial companies did use the library without commiting bugfixes ...
- 133
1
vote
1
answer
260
views
Can I use a (modified) LGPL-2.1 library in my MIT-licensed library?
I am developing a Modbus library for use on microcontrollers.
Internally, I am using an (apparently) heavily-modified version of libmodbus (slightly-modified from the version that comes with ...
- 113
20
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Can I relicense an abandoned GPL project if the copyright owners are no longer responsive?
Suppose I want to use GPL-copyrighted software in a closed-source project. With actively maintained projects I can contact the copyright holders to see if I can work out an agreement with them. But ...
- 1,370
0
votes
1
answer
79
views
Modern Alternatives for the Common Public Attribution License
I am looking for a modern alternative or similar license to the Common Public Attribution License.
Here are some of the specific license attributions that I am looking for:
A requirement that the ...
- 11
2
votes
0
answers
41
views
How do I go about having stuff licensed differently in a project licensed under a different license?
Suppose my project A is licensed under AGPL v3.
Now I choose to include stuff (a filter list actually) from different sources, which are licensed under GPLv2, CC-BY 4.0, and I have combined them in a ...
- 121
7
votes
2
answers
775
views
Does the BSD licence implicitly apply to derived work?
Moved from the discussion of this answer, which makes the following claim about BSD licences:
The 3BSD licence requires (in clause 1) that your copyright notices be preserved, and that some licence ...
- 171
2
votes
0
answers
28
views
BSD 3-Clause License Changed to GNU General Public License v2.0 [duplicate]
I had previously downloaded an open source project under the BSD 3-Clause, which I am planning to make use of in a commercial product. As far as I understand, this license will permit this in a closed ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
123
views
Can a copy-left licensed software mutate to a permissive one? Can a permissive licence mutate to a copy-left one?
I am a bit lost with license compatibility and re-licensing.
See this example:
Author Alice is author and holds copyright of software under GPL3. This software supports plugins.
Author Bob authors a ...
- 319
3
votes
1
answer
365
views
When using a dependency with an Apache license but has sub-dependencies under GPL, do I need to open source my own code?
When using a dependency with an Apache license but has sub-dependencies under GPL, do I need to open source my own code?
Based on my own research, it appears I would have to abide by the full line of ...
- 33