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Last modified by chrisby on 2025/01/11 10:03
From version 2.67
edited by chrisby
on 2025/01/01 11:59
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To version 2.61
edited by chrisby
on 2025/01/01 11:47
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

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47 47  
48 48  **Copyleft Licenses**
49 49  
50 -To address the problems with proprietary software, the FSF primarily promotes copyleft licenses, which require that any derivative works of the software be licensed under the same terms as the original code. The term "derivative work" is legally vague, but a common understanding is that it means a new work based on the original copyleft code that incorporates it at the source level. This ensures that when contributions are made to a copyleft project, or when copyleft code is directly reused in another project, the resulting work must be released under the same copyleft license. This prevents vendors from incorporating copyleft code into proprietary products, and ensures that any derivative works remain open source. In addition, copyleft licenses require that the source code be made available to users so that they can modify, build, and control the software themselves.
50 +To address the problems with proprietary software, the FSF primarily promotes copyleft licenses, which require that any derivative works of the software be licensed under the same terms as the original code. The term "derivative work" is legally vague, but a common understA derivative work is a new work based on the original copyleft code that incorporates it at the source level. This ensures that when contributions are made to a copyleft project, or when copyleft code is reused in another project, the resulting work must also be released under the same copyleft license. This prevents vendors from incorporating copyleft code into proprietary products, and ensures that any derivative works remain open source. In addition, copyleft licenses require that the source code be made available to users so that they can modify, build, and control the software themselves.
51 51  
52 52  **OSI Position**
53 53  
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61 61  
62 62  **Do permissive or copyleft licenses provide the most freedom?**
63 63  
64 -* The answer depends on your definition of freedom. Permissive licenses emphasize freedom of choice, allowing you to do whatever you want with the code, including reusing it in proprietary products. Copyleft licenses emphasize user freedom in a more political sense by ensuring that derivative works remain free and open, and by protecting users from proprietary restrictions that could violate the four essential software freedoms. Thus, both permissive and copyleft licenses provide freedom, but they focus on different aspects of it.
64 +* The answer depends on your definition of freedom. Permissive licenses emphasize freedom of choice, allowing you to do whatever you want with the code, including reusing it in proprietary products. Copyleft licenses emphasize user freedom by ensuring that derivative works remain free and open, and by protecting users from proprietary restrictions that could violate the four essential software freedoms. Thus, both permissive and copyleft licenses provide freedom, but they focus on different aspects of it.
65 65  
66 66  **Does a permissive or copyleft project lead to more contributions?**
67 67  
68 68  * Permissive licenses might attract more users, especially vendors, and lead to more voluntary contributions. Copyleft licenses, on the other hand, force improvements to be open sourced and shared with the community. Which effect is greater depends on the situation.
69 69  
70 -**Why should people with no technical expertise care about open source? Speaking of people who cannot even read the source code.**
70 +**Why should people with no technical expertise care about open source? People who cannot even read the source code.**
71 71  
72 -* Even if you do not have the expertise to examine or modify the source code yourself, open source software allows you to engage specialists who can adapt the software to meet your needs. You also benefit from the collective work of a broader community that improves the software. In contrast, proprietary offerings can limit your control and create dependency on the vendor for updates or modifications. From a business perspective, open source can provide long-term benefits, such as reduced risk by reducing dependence on a single vendor. Choosing open source may be the more economical option.
72 +* Even if you cannot read or modify the source code yourself, open source gives you the ability to hire experts to customize or improve the software to meet your needs. You can also benefit from the contributions and improvements made by the open source community. In contrast, proprietary software limits your control and often makes you dependent on the vendor for updates and changes. Managers should consider the long-term benefits of open source software, such as flexibility, community-driven innovation, and freedom from vendor lock-in.