Open-source licence

The terms under which open-source software may be used, modified and distributed, ranging from permissive licences to copyleft licences with sharing obligations.

Example

Using a library under the MIT licence while keeping its copyright notice.

Important

Copyleft licences can impose obligations on commercial products that embed the software.

Related terms

• Intellectual property assignment — A written agreement transferring ownership of intellectual property, such as code or designs, from its creator to a company.

Lessons that explain it

• The company must own its code and follow the licences it uses — Technical diligence confirms that everyone who wrote the product assigned their rights to the company, and that open-source components are used in ways their licences allow. (10 min)

All 578 terms in the Investing glossary