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licensing interview questions

Top licensing frequently asked interview questions

How to change the license for a project at Github? [closed]

I have created a simple list API in C and I want to release it via Github. I am not yet sure which license to choose, as MIT and GPL seem to be good for me.

Is there any way to change the license after the creation of the repository?

As a sidenote: What can help me to choose a licensing model?


Source: (StackOverflow)

Open-source: licence header on each source file OR a single COPYING OR both? [closed]

Publishing an open-source project, is it enough to add a COPYING file to the package or do I need to copy and paste it on top of every project's source file?
On famous public repositories like github or Google code I've seen different mixed approaches so I would like to know how this aspect should be handled correctly.


Source: (StackOverflow)

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Is there a chart of which OSS License is compatible with which? [closed]

I have a fairly good understanding of individual OSS licenses, but I always have trouble when I want to use code under different licenses. BSD vs. Ms-PL, Apache 2 vs. GPLv3 etc.

Is there some sort of "mating chart" that lists which licenses are compatible with which ones?


Source: (StackOverflow)

What should every developer know about legal matters? [closed]

Today I had a bad surprise learning about some implications of the GPL license, mainly that I couldn't use it as freely as I thought.

Now I know.

What else should I know, and more widely, what should every developer know about legal things like that?

You can separate employees, freelancers, open source projects contributors (etc.) or give a more broad answer.


Source: (StackOverflow)

Putting license in each code file? [closed]

I find it unnecessarily duplicated to have it in each code file, but I see it on most open source projects. Should I do that same, or just include a single license outside the code?


Source: (StackOverflow)

What license should I choose from codeplex for my open source project? [closed]

What license should I pick on codeplex if I want an open source project? What are the pros and cons on all licenses?


Source: (StackOverflow)

Is the Microsoft Public License viral? [closed]

In section 3(d), the Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL) states: "If you distribute any portion of the software in compiled or object code form, you may only do so under a license that complies with this license". It seems to me that the statement "complies with this license" means that software that contains the Ms-PL-licensed code must also be as free as the Ms-PL permits. Is this a viral requirement, similar to the GNU GPL?


Source: (StackOverflow)

MIT vs GPL license [closed]

The MIT license is GPL-compatible. Is the GPL license MIT-compatible? i.e. I can include MIT-licensed code in a GPL-licensed product, but can I include GPL-licensed code in a MIT-licensed product?

It seems to me that the chief difference between the MIT license and GPL is that the MIT doesn't require modifications be open sourced whereas the GPL does. Is that correct? Is the GPL is more restrictive than the MIT license?


Source: (StackOverflow)

Implementing a 30 day time trial [closed]

Question for indie Mac developers out there:

How do I implement a 30-day time trial in a non-evil fashion? Putting a counter in the prefs is not an option, since wiping prefs once a month is not a problem for an average user. Putting the counter in a hidden file somewhere sounds a bit dodgy - as a user I hate when apps sprinkle my hard drive with random files. Any ideas?


Source: (StackOverflow)

jQuery, jQuery UI, and Dual Licensed Plugins (Dual Licensing) [closed]

OK I have read many posts regarding Dual Licensing using MIT and GPL licenses. But Im curious still, as the wording seems to be inclusive. Many of the Dual Licenses state that the software is licensed using "MIT AND GPL". The "AND" is what confuses me.

It seems to me that the word "AND" in the terms, means you will be licensing the product using both licenses. Most of the posts, here on stackoverflow, state that you can license the software using one "OR" the other.

JQuery specifically states "OR", whereas JQuery UI specifically States "AND". Another Instance of the "AND" would be JQGrid.

Im not a lawyer but, it seems to me that a legal interpretation of this would state that use of the software would mean that your using the software under both licenses. Has anyone who has contacted a lawyer gotten clarification or a definitive answer as to what is true? Can you use Dual licensed software products that state "AND" in the terms of agreement under either license?

EDITED: Guys here is specifically what Im talking about on jquery.org/license you see the following stated:

You may use any jQuery project under the terms of either the MIT License or the GNU General Public License (GPL) Version 2

but in the header of Jquery's and Jquery UI library you see this:

 * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses.
 * http://docs.jquery.com/License

The site says

MIT or GPL

but the license statement in the software says

MIT and GPL.

UPDATE May 7, 2010 There is clearly something to this question as JQuery has changed the wording of thier licence agreement in thier latest release to state MIT OR GPL.

Release 1.3.2 license says:

/*
 * jQuery JavaScript Library v1.3.2
 * http://jquery.com/
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2009 John Resig
 * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses.
 * http://docs.jquery.com/License
 *
 * Date: 2009-02-19 17:34:21 -0500 (Thu, 19 Feb 2009)
 * Revision: 6246
 */

But now Release 1.4.2 license says:

/*!
 * jQuery JavaScript Library v1.4.2
 * http://jquery.com/
 *
 * Copyright 2010, John Resig
 * Dual licensed under the MIT or GPL Version 2 licenses.
 * http://jquery.org/license
*/

Source: (StackOverflow)

How can I implement a Licensing strategy for Android? [closed]

I saw the stock Android-Developer licensing library instructions, but how can I implement the strategy in a real application?


Source: (StackOverflow)

How to rebrand/copyright a forked project (GNU/GPL)? [closed]

long story short, we're forking a free software. The code is under GNU/GPL license, we've tried to collaborate with the original developer but without success. We're improving the software adding a lot of features and unlikely our code will be merged in the original one.

We want to call the new project with a new name, use the same license of course and change the copyright notice in every file.

I know it should be allowed by the GNU/GPL to modify the code and redistribuite but here some questions:

  1. Is it OK to change the project name? (I guess yes)
  2. Is is OK to add our copyright notice and remove the original or we should just add our and leave the original copyright notice?
  3. We have to leave the reference to the old project in the code? (In the header he asks to make a reference to his project/website in case of fork. I guess it's just a suggestion and we could not do it, right?)

Source: (StackOverflow)

Is MS-PL (Microsoft Public License) code allowed in commercial product? [closed]

If someone wants to use parts of a code licensed under MS-PL and use it in a commercial product, is that allowed by MS-PL? What are the restrictions.


Source: (StackOverflow)

Reset Windows Activation/Remove license key [closed]

I'm having a hard time finding and answer to this. If I had to hypotheitcally remove the Windows license key from a VM that's been specifically setup for a partner, and it needs to be removed before the VM is handed over, how would I go about doing this? Naturally the built-in 30 day grace period has expired and I'm using an MSDN license key, but I need to remove the key before handing the VM off. The recipient can input their own license key. e.g. how do I reset the Activation Key Wizard's nagging?


Source: (StackOverflow)

Can I use Qt LGPL license and sell my application without any kind of restrictions? [closed]

I want to start a cross-platform project. I had my researches and now I am almost certain Qt is the right deal. There is a big obstacle here though: licensing.
I want to sell my project and I also don't want to give out any source related to my work or pay for a license.
I checked and noticed Qt offers both commercial and open source solutions.
I have heard to many conflicting sayings on Qt licensing which confused me alot.
Some say that even if I use LGPL version of Qt, I still need to submit my code.
Is this correct?
Can someone give me a simple explanation on Qt licenses and tell me if I can sell my application without any kind of restrictions at all or not?
I would also appreciate if anyone could tell me any other equivalents to Qt for cross-platform development without any restrictions.


Source: (StackOverflow)