What is the difference between mit, apache, bsd licenses. Asl and bsd license are preferred by many companies because such licenses make it. Just a brief overview id like to write an application that uses some libraries from mit and some from apache, and i can only release it under bsd, so not sure if there are issues with that. Their initial license was essentially the same as the old 4clause bsd license, with only the names of the organizations changed. Under linuxs gnu public license one can modify the software any way they want, as long as they provide the modified source code to the other users. Small companies with software projects vulnerable to orphaning should attempt to use the bsd license when possible. The gpl license is copyleft, therefore you must disclose your source code and make your modified version of your code open source as well. John takes you through the license text as a foundation for the other open source licenses to. The apache software license was based in large part on bsd and mit style licenses.
The free software foundation considers the apache license, version 2. Comparison of free and opensource software licences wikipedia. Unlike the apache license, the gpl embeds the decision as to the codes open source nature into the code itself. The mpl fills a useful space in the spectrum of free and open source software licenses, sitting between the apache license, which does not require modifications to be shared, and the gnu family of licenses, which requires modifications to be shared under a much broader set of circumstances than the mpl. As a result, bsd may present an easier migration route. The berkeley software distribution bsd was the first recognized open source license. Tldrlegal provides generally good summaries of licenses.
Many foss software projects use a bsd license, for instance the bsd os family freebsd etc. Let us examine why these corporations stay away from gpl. Weve compiled a list of your top 10 questions about the gpl license in the last. Bsd can execute most linux binaries, while linux can not execute bsd binaries. The discussion on gpl vs bsd licensing will probably never end, unless one or both licenses cease to exist. The original version has since been revised, and its descendants are referred to as modified bsd licenses. Bsd licensed software can be used with proprietary software. The main purpose of both these licenses is to allow people to use, distribute, and modify your code, but preserve your credit, license method, and disclaimer of warranties.
Beginning in 1995, the apache group later the apache software foundation released successive versions of their wellknown d server. The apache software foundation uses various licenses to distribute software and documentation, to accept regular contributions from individuals and corporations, and to accept larger grants of existing software products. Version 2 of the gpl, released in 1991, went on to become the most widely used freesoftware license. Mit license vs simplified bsd license detailed comparison. Various licenses and comments about them gnu project. The apache license is a permissive free software license written by the apache software. The gnulgpl is very popular among independent developers and companies which mainly deal with open source software.
Why you should use a bsd style license for your open. Apache grants you a right to use any patents the code may use. Yet, many foss licences, like the apache license, and all free software. Why corporations favors the apache license over the gpllgpl. Another difference between the bsd licenses and the mit license is how they deal with the meaning of software. Under the name of xenocara, the openbsd base system includes an improved and actively maintained version of the x. This is a comparison of free and opensource software licences. Difference between different types of open sources licenses. The bsd license may be more attractive than the gpl.
Understanding open source and free software licensing. Why would a person choose the apache license over mit, bsd or gpl. Apache license spot the differences due to the helpful visualizations at a glance category. The bsd license family is one of the oldest and broadly used license family in the foss ecosystem. Chemisor, a bsd advocate, is of the opinion that a linguistic misunderstanding may be the root of the disagreements over the difference licensing philosophies. Bsd license example license for template files apache. Also, many new licenses were derived or inspired by the bsd licenses. Copyleft licenses like gpl are, generally speaking, bad for business. Mit applies to the documentation associated with the software, bsd doesnt.
There are many variants of simple noncopyleft free software licenses, such as the expat license, freebsd license, x10 license, the x11 license, and the two bsd berkeley software distribution licenses. Always consult your own lawyer before betting the company on somebody elses licensing terms this applies both. The berkeley software distribution bsd licenses are a family of permissive licenses. If the bsd license in question is the two or threeclause variant i. The comparison only covers software licences with a linked article for details, approved by at least one expert group at the fsf, the osi, the debian project or the fedora project. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code. Earlier versions of the apache license were identical to the original and later the modified bsd licenses, but apache license 2. Xml commons contains some software and documentation that is covered under a number of different licenses. Unless otherwise noted all files in xml commons are covered under the apache license version 2. Copyleft licenses require the derivative works or modified versions of existing. The apache license, on the other hand, is favored by the big corporations for their open source projects. Where i work contracts and grants prefers that we use bsd because they as i understand it think apaches patent grants are too broad.
Gnu public license faq mozilla public license faq apache license faq disclaimer. The 3clause modified bsd license includes a nonendorsement clause, which says users dont have the right to market software using bsdlicensed components in such a way that their product appears to be endorsed by the original developers. The common understanding while i was working on apache code a while back was that you could incorporate bsd, mit, and similar licensed libraries but you could not do the same for gpl based licenses. Their initial license was essentially the same as the old 4clause bsd license, with.
This license has been superseded by the apache license, version 2. Adherents of gplstyle licensing continue to insist that all software should be free and the license must manacle any attempts to extend it with proprietary software. From this family, the most common licenses are the 3clause bsd license and the 2clause license. Most of them are equivalent except for details of wording, but the license used for bsd until 1999 had a special problem. Org foundation maintains and distributes the x window system under a modified mit license, which is quite similar to the bsd license and additionally allows sublicensing. Bsdlicense spot the differences due to the helpful visualizations at a glance category.
This was also the reason why the isc license was created, which is a modified bsd 2clause license. All software produced by the apache software foundation or any of its projects or subjects is licensed according to the terms of the documents listed below. Holy see vatican city state, saint vincent and the grenadines, venezuela. Gpl vs apachemit licenses the ethical dilemma in open source the opinion in the foss world is quite divided on the matter of these two kinds of licensing or rather camps. The wordiness creates greater specificity about contributors obligations, which might help in a dispute. Im not a lawyer and this article should not be considered legal advice. The software freedom law center provides practical advice for developers about including permissively licensed source. Products derived from this software may not be called apache, nor may apache appear in their name, without prior written permission of the apache software foundation.
Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. Bsdlicensed code can be sold or included in proprietary products without restriction on future behavior. Apache license an open education reader pressbooks. The apache license has some extra benefits over the bsd or mit x11 licensestyle licenses. The bsd license is intended to encourage product commercialization. The two licenses are very different from each other. These attacks are about freedom of sharing the code, and to what degree this should be allowed. They require all modifications, and any software based on the open source. The apache software license version 2 is a substantially more complex document than the bsd license 4 pages versus 1 which explicitly.
Differences in distribution, linking, modification, private use of open source licenses like mit, gnu gpl, apache 2. Companies of all sizes should consider forming such open source projects when it is to their mutual advantage to maintain the minimal legal and organization overheads associated with a true bsdstyle open source project. On the other hand, apple has contributed things back to freebsdbecause of the resultant similarity. The modified bsd license is not bad, as lax permissive licenses go, though the apache 2. In 1989, version 1 of the gnu general public license gpl was published. These licenses help us achieve our goal of providing reliable and longlived software products through collaborative open source software development. The reason for that is that a revision of the berne convention in 1977 contains a part which expands the protection of the original work to translations too.
What is the difference between a bsd and a gpl license. Theres an interesting post about the gpl license and bsd license, and the writers suggests that the public domain license is the license to be chosen for real freedom, as the other two lay restrictions on the user about the gpl license he notes. Bsd license problem gnu project free software foundation. Top 10 apache license questions answered whitesource. Developers prefer gpl, enterprises prefer apache techcrunch. Issuing a dual license allows users to choose from those licensesnot be bound to both. The apache license is a permissive open source software license so you can. Every so many weeks you find that gpl license advocates attack the bsd license. Gpl vs apachemit licenses the ethical dilemma in open.
Bsd is both a license and a class of license generally referred to as bsd like. Some of baseforms solutions were born from opensource efforts, giving back. Bsd license bsd license is a part of a family of free software licenses that have much fewer restrictions in distribution as compared to other free software licenses. The apache license has a similar philosophy to the mit, but uses more words. Apache 2 software can therefore be included in gplv3 projects, because the gplv3 license accepts our software into gplv3 works. What are the essential differences between the bsd and mit. Bsd and linux are derivatives of the unix operating system and they are both open source operating system. The bsd license is another highly permissible license that allows you to modify and redistribute software licensed under the bsd license as you like. The original bsd license was used for its namesake, the berkeley software distribution bsd, a unixlike operating system.
Attribution assurance license 25 boost software license 48 bsd license 15,762 common development and distribution license 85 common public attribution license 1. In mit license, the word software with a capital s is explicitly defined as being this software and associated documentation files. The gnu general public license, or gpl, is an opensource license. Open source is all about giving sourcecode for free, but both these camps differ on under what terms the code be given. Bsd and linux are both types of operating systems that one can run on their computer. However, it is risky to recommend use of the bsd license, even for special cases such as small programs, because confusion could easily occur and lead to use of the flawed original bsd license. Chapter 2, the mit, bsd, apache, and academic free licenses. The mit or x, bsd, and apache licenses are classic open source licensing software licenses and are used in many open source projects. It has an extra term that extends from bsd clause 4, saying that derivatives must not bear the same apache name. Under gpl you cant sublicense, meaning, you cant cha. Mitlicensed projects can be usedredistributed in bsdlicensed projects bsdlicensed projects can be usedredistributed in mitlicensed projects. Apple could not have done that with linux not without opensourcing osx anyway, because linux is gpl licensed. The original bsd license is also one of the first freesoftware licenses, dating to 1988. Gnu library or lesser general public license version 2.
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