Open Source Licensing - Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law

Open Source Licensing - Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law

A guide to open source license and licensing issues. Explains how to choose a license for an open source software, and how the chosen license affects developers, managers, lawyers and business.

Publication date: 01 Jul 2004

ISBN-10: 0131487876

ISBN-13: n/a

Paperback: 432 pages

Views: 17,776

Type: N/A

Publisher: Prentice Hall

License: Academic Free License version 3.0

Post time: 28 Jun 2005 07:38:47

Open Source Licensing - Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law

Open Source Licensing - Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law A guide to open source license and licensing issues. Explains how to choose a license for an open source software, and how the chosen license affects developers, managers, lawyers and business.
Tag(s): Software Libre and Open Source
Publication date: 01 Jul 2004
ISBN-10: 0131487876
ISBN-13: n/a
Paperback: 432 pages
Views: 17,776
Document Type: N/A
Publisher: Prentice Hall
License: Academic Free License version 3.0
Post time: 28 Jun 2005 07:38:47
Summary/Excerpts of (and not a substitute for) the Academic Free License version 3.0:
Gives you a copyright and allows for a patent on the software so long as you include the original software, any of its copyrights or trademarks and a note saying that you modified it. Created by the same author as the Open Software License, this license is nearly identical but, unlike the Open Software License, not copyleft as it doesn't force derivative works to use the same license.

Click here to read the full license.
:santagrin: This book was suggested by zero0w

Excerpts from the Preamble:

Open source is now dominating many of the market conversations in the software industry. While software companies continue to release valuable and high-quality products under proprietary licenses, most are also embracing open source product development and distribution models as well as the software licenses that make those models possible.

This book is about the law but it is not written for lawyers. You will not find citations to case law or rigorous academic analyses suitable for publication in a law journal. This book is written for my friends in the open source community who write and distribute software and who are confused about which licenses to use. It is also written for our customers who are concerned about how software licenses may affect them and their businesses. It seeks to dispel myths and fears about open source software licensing and to explain the legal context in which open source software exists.

As a user of open source software you may go forth and live free. None of the licenses in this book restricts in any way your use of open source software. But if you are more directly involved in the creation, modification, or distribution of software, or if you manage or advise the in-licensing of software into your company, you should at the very least consult your attorney to make sure you don’t commit to more than you’re willing to deliver. This book may help you ask your attorney the right questions.

Reviews:

Amazon.com
:) "If you're looking to get an in-depth understanding of open source licensing and all the issues surrounding it, you should read Open Source Licensing by Lawrence Rosen."

:) "I can't say that this is a casual fun read to take on a vacation with you. But if you are choosing a license and you have no idea what you are doing, then this will be an informative read that will help you make that decision."

:) "At the core of the open source movement are licensing issues. These are still relatively new and potentially confusing to many. Here, Rosen offers a major clarification of the key ideas."
 




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Lawrence Rosen

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