Questions tagged [relicensing]
For questions about changing the license of a work which has already been published under a different license (or published under all-rights-reserved copyright)
178
questions
5
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1
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317
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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 ...
- 51.1k
3
votes
1
answer
62
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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 ...
- 5,289
4
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3
answers
3k
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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. ...
- 95
10
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2
answers
1k
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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 ...
- 51.1k
5
votes
1
answer
988
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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 (...
- 20.7k
3
votes
1
answer
676
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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/...
- 51.1k
1
vote
0
answers
32
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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....
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0
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1
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128
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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 ...
- 32.2k
5
votes
2
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951
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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 ...
- 103
5
votes
1
answer
370
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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 ...
- 51.1k
18
votes
1
answer
6k
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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 ...
- 103
95
votes
6
answers
16k
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How can a project be relicensed?
I've found out that the license I picked for my project does not quite do what I wanted it do (bad research).
Now I want to change the license. Is it as simple as changing the LICENSE.txt in the root?...
- 413
5
votes
2
answers
145
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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 (...
- 229
4
votes
1
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165
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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 ...
- 36.4k
1
vote
0
answers
108
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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 ...
- 11
10
votes
1
answer
1k
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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
1
answer
225
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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 ...
- 5,162
2
votes
0
answers
25
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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 ...
- 21
1
vote
0
answers
58
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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 ...
- 11
51
votes
5
answers
10k
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Can there be a copyright on negative code?
This is a hypothetical question, but I am curious. Feel free to ignore it, when it seems too theoretical for you.
Some people may know the situation that you implement a feature and in the end you ...
- 544
3
votes
1
answer
624
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 ...
- 7,399
17
votes
3
answers
5k
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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 ...
- 111
10
votes
1
answer
2k
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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....
- 51.1k
3
votes
1
answer
652
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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 ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
0
answers
66
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 ...
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-1
votes
1
answer
66
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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 ...
- 20.7k
1
vote
1
answer
290
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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, ...
- 51.1k
4
votes
2
answers
290
views
MPL 1.1: Re-distribute under MPL 2.0 without modification
I look at a project under MPL 1.1. Can I take the source and re-distribute it under MPL 2.0 without any modification or contribution? That is, I am not a contributor (not the initial, not in the past, ...
- 111
3
votes
2
answers
217
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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/...
CommunityBot
- 1
4
votes
1
answer
258
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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. ...
- 51.1k
0
votes
0
answers
136
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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:...
- 36.4k
3
votes
2
answers
344
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 ...
- 32.2k
3
votes
1
answer
855
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 ...
- 7,399
16
votes
1
answer
5k
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Relicensing an MIT licensed project under the GPL that has non code contributions from others
I have an Android Game I've written that I released under the MIT license. Recently, there have been several people who have downloaded the source of my application, added ads and uploaded it to the ...
- 51.1k
3
votes
1
answer
505
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 ...
- 5,687
1
vote
1
answer
405
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 ...
- 32.2k
1
vote
1
answer
232
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 ...
- 7,399
0
votes
1
answer
154
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 ...
- 7,399
0
votes
2
answers
1k
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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 ...
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1
vote
1
answer
94
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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 ...
- 51.1k
2
votes
1
answer
139
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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 ...
- 32.2k
2
votes
1
answer
229
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 ...
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1
vote
0
answers
29
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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
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 ...
7
votes
1
answer
1k
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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 ...
- 36.4k
0
votes
0
answers
35
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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, ...
- 315
3
votes
2
answers
455
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 ...
- 51.1k
1
vote
1
answer
252
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 ...
- 51.1k
8
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Can the Linux kernel be released under GPLv3?
From the Wikipedia article on Linux:
The Linux kernel is licensed explicitly only under version 2 of the GPL, without offering the licensee the option to choose "any later version", which is a ...
- 4,223
8
votes
3
answers
1k
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Can someone re-license an adaptation of my CC BY-NC materials under commercial terms?
In the comments below this answer, it is stated that while there is no ShareAlike clause (that would be CC BY-NC-SA), you would not be allowed to re-license Adapted Materials under commercial terms.
...
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