In a license, the 'licensor' is the owner who gives permission. The 'licensee' is the person or group who gets to use the work under the owner's rules.

Owners and Users

This is software where the code is available for anyone to see and fix. It is built on the idea that technology should be open for the benefit of everyone.

Open Source Software

These are 'easy-going' licenses that allow you to use a work with very few rules. You can often use the work in your own projects without having to share your changes.

Permissive License Types

Copyleft is a rule that says if you improve a project, you must share your version under those same open rules. It ensures the work stays free and open forever.

Copyleft Share Rules

This is a set of simple icons used for art, writing, and photos. They clearly show if you can use a work for free and what the requirements are.

Creative Commons Labels

Most licenses require 'attribution,' which just means you must name the original creator. This ensures authors get recognized for their hard work.

Giving Proper Credit

Some licenses allow you to make money using the work, while others strictly forbid it. This helps creators control whether their work is used for profit or just for the public good.

Commercial Usage Rules

Works in the 'public domain' have no license or owner at all. Anyone can use them for any purpose without asking for permission or paying a fee.

Public Domain Works

Sometimes governments force a license to be shared for the public interest, such as during a health crisis. This is called a 'compulsory license' and ensures life-saving tools reach everyone.

Mandatory Public Access

A patent protects a technical invention like a new medicine. Licensing these patents for free can help poor communities get access to expensive treatments.

Patent Sharing for Health

This involves licensing sets of information, like weather or traffic data, so the public can use it. It helps researchers and citizens build helpful apps for their communities.

Open Data Standards

Licenses specify if you are allowed to create 'derivatives,' which are remixes or modified versions. This is common in tech projects where developers fix bugs in each other's code.

Changing Original Works

Often called NDAs, these are 'secrecy licenses.' They are used to share private ideas with a partner while legally making sure they don't tell anyone else.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

Most licenses and legal protections eventually end after a set number of years. Once they expire, the work usually becomes free for the public to use without restrictions.

What is Open Source?