Box 1 Open Source Licenses
Open source software is distributed under a license, just like regular proprietary software is. An open source license is a license with a difference: instead of keeping or expanding the software developer's rights over the product, it basically gives them away. It gives freedom to the end user to modify the source code according to their will and requirements. It gives freedom to the user to sell or give the product away without having to pay royalty to the original developer.
There is no single open source license; to date, more than 30 exist. This table summarises some of the well known ones.
License |
Proprietary Software linking |
Distribution of “the Work” |
Redistributing of the code with changes |
Compatible with GNU GPL |
Not allowed (since the linked software is considered a whole) |
Not allowed with software whose license is not GNU GPL compatible. |
Only if the derivative is GNU GPL. |
Yes |
|
Allowed (since the software that links to the library is not considered a derivative work) |
Allowed with some restrictions: You have to provide source code of the distributed LGPL library with (if any) modifications, changes to the LGPL library should be allowed to third parties and if BC your app/lib should still work with the modified LGPL lib/app. |
Only if the derivative is GNU LGPL or GNU GPL. |
Yes |
|
Allowed (the requirements of Apple License apply only to the Covered Code) |
Allowed. |
Only under Apple Public license. |
No |
|
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Allowed (as long as the name “Apache” isn't used in the name of the derivative work) |
No |
|
Allowed. |
Allowed (as long as C or perl subroutines supplied by you and linked into the Covered Code are not considered a part of the Covered Code) |
Allowed if one of the following is true: |
Yes [1] |
|
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Only the modified BSD license is compatible with GPL. The original BSD license is not compatible because it includes a weird advertising clause. [2] |
|
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Yes |
|
Allowed. |
Allowed. |
Only under MPL. |
No/Yes [3] |
More on Open Source in Software Industry
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Open source software is distributed under a license, just like regular proprietary software is. An open source license is a license with a difference: instead of keeping or expanding the software developer's rights over the product, it basically gives them away.
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Open Source Portals
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Career Opportunities
In our OSS Myth-Busting spree, we noticed that one of the chief misconception people have about open source software companies are all run by volunteers and there isn’t much of a cash flow over there. People believe that OSS developers are just passionate hobbyists and nothing more than that.
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Drawbacks
There is no doubt about the fact that open source has taken the world by storm. Open Source is spearheading the revolution to bring about a change in the world order, where the environment is free, conducive and constructive.
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References
http://developer.kde.org/documentation/licensing/licenses_summary.html
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/alphabetical
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2004/11/18/licenses.html
