FAQ

No, Open Source software is free, so you don’t pay license fees to use it in your work. Anyone can access Open Source software at no cost. However, there is a catch; Open Source software has several distribution measures you must follow to ensure transparency and inclusivity within the programming community. Many developers usually collaborate to create this software and distribute it under Open Source licenses like a GNU General Public License. Interestingly, the global tech community maintains that the freedom to study, modify, use, copy and enhance Open Source software makes it unique; its free price tag doesn’t matter. 

Yes, you can use Open Source software for commercial purposes. According to the legal definition of Open Source software, you can add Open Source code to your proprietary software and sell it. These free resources are building blocks that speed up projects for countless software teams worldwide. However, in some instances, you cannot place limitations on the people who receive and use these programs. The licenses on some Open Source software sources have terms and conditions you should observe to avoid a lawsuit. GNU-licensed Open Source software and other permissive sources are ideal for commercial products because they have the fewest restrictions.

A permissive Open Source license, also known as non-copyleft, is a free software license with minimal limitations on how you can use an Open Source code to create a paid-license program. You can use a permissive source code in your programs without crediting its software developer. However, you must attach an original copyright notice to your work to meet the license’s only condition. This leeway means you can use permissive-licensed software in proprietary software. A software team can protect products made with bits of Open Source under data rights regulations to restrict access. Apache 2.0 is the most popular permissive Open Source license. Notably, these licenses are more flexible than copyleft licenses.

A copyleft license allows you to alter and distribute Open Source code under the condition that your modifications are just as open to the public as its source. The transparency fosters a sense of collaboration among software developers and compels them to share their improvements on the Open Source software. Although these measures reinforce the concept of free software, the obligation makes copyleft licenses more stringent than permissive licenses. Therefore, copyleft is a subset of Open Source software since it allows software developers to use free source code. Copyleft-licensed software is not ideal for proprietary software, but you can still commercialize it.

Yes. Free software and Open Source are similar terms since they define and guarantee a software developer’s liberty to use a source code freely within set conditions. These terms protect and promote the development of free software. Initially, the Foundation of Free Software (FSF) referred to this source code as free software. The founders of the Open Source Initiative later coined Open Source for this concept which gained traction. Many tech industry stakeholders use these terms interchangeably, although Open Source expresses a higher degree of freedom for software developers. Free software also refers to copyleft licenses online, while Open Source covers copyleft and permissive licenses.

A software license is a legal agreement that binds software developers with specific conditions they must follow.  When a software publisher owns a piece of software, an end-user needs a license to operate it. Usually, the software license is a long string of letters and numbers; this essential data is called a product key. A licensee enters the key as one of the conventional software installation steps. Without a key, you can’t access the software because it proves you are compliant with the owner’s requirements. The license also dictates whether you can explore, modify, copy, and redistribute the software’s source code; each software license has its unique set of stipulations.

The number of software licenses and their corresponding users depends on an owner’s requirements. Software companies have various product licenses you can choose from based on your needs. Some developers limit the number of users who can use their software, so you must read the fine print beforehand. A single-user license limits the software’s use to a sole individual, while multi-user licenses cover several users at a go. For instance, a volume multi-user subscription allows you to install specific software on several computers that a specific number of licensees can use monthly or annually. Multiple licenses are viable for medium-to-large organizations that require efficiency and productivity.

Yes, you need a software license to protect you from any liabilities, specifically when you use proprietary software because it’s intellectual property. The software license outlines a list of responsibilities between the owner of a product and its end-user. The license will outline a set of rules that you should follow to avoid a violation of its use.

The software owner also grants you the rights to use his program, but you can’t access its source code since it’s a Closed Source. If you use copyrighted Open Source software, you must affix a copyright notice to your written code to protect yourself unless it’s on a public software repository like GitHub.

If you don’t have a license to use a software product, you face the risk of litigation and project take-downs. Notably, the law attaches copyright to a software developer’s code by default. Keep this in mind when you come across software that seemingly has no license. Moreover, when an Open Source code doesn’t have a software license, don’t feign ignorance. The owner of the source code still reserves all its rights, so you can’t copy, change, use, or share it. When you use this sort of source code, attribute the owner to your project and recognize individuals who supported it as contributors. 

No, it’s unadvisable because you will interfere with the authenticity of existing approved Open Source Software licenses. When software developers refer to their code as Open Source without an approved license, it floods the tech community with unsupported software licenses; this makes it harder for others to decide which license is ideal for their projects. Fortunately, the Open Source Initiative has a process that reconciles and approves software licenses that meet the expectations and norms of the global software community. The process ensures a license goes through a public review and fits the criteria of an Open Source software before a committee approves it.