As web developers, we all end up coming in contact with software we didn't write, be it to use in our own projects or to modify in some way to satisfy a need for ourselves or a client. We might even be distrubuting a library or an application. What we may not realize is that licensing is a very important idea which guides what we can and cannot use in our own software. We'll navigate the murky waters of Open Source Licensing and copyright as it relates to developers.
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What is Copyright?
“Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, that grants the creatorof an original workexclusive rights to its
useand distribution, usuallyfor a limited time, with theintention of enabling the creator of intellectual wealth (e.g. the
photographer of a photograph or the author of a book) to receive compensation for their workand be able to financially
support themselves.
Copyrightis a form of intellectual property (as patents, trademarks andtrade secrets are), applicable to any expressible form
of anidea or information that is substantive and discrete.[1] Itis often shared, then percentage holders are commonly called
rightsholders: legally, contractually and in associated "rights"business functions.[citation needed] Generallyrightsholders
have"theright to copy", but also the right to be credited for the work, to determine who may adapt the work to other forms,
who mayperform the work, who mayfinanciallybenefit from it, and other related rights.”
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Copyright stays around
“The durationof copyright inthese works isgenerally
computedthe same way as for works created on or after
January 1, 1978: life plus 70 years or 95 or120 years,
depending onthe nature of authorship.However, allworks in
this category are guaranteed at least25 years of statutory
protection.”
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
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Or maybe even longer
• Jointauther itlasts70 years after lastsurviving author
• Works made for Hirelast95 after publicationor 120
years after creation
• Anonymous works are protected like Works for Hire
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
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It Depends
●Copyleftmakes sure your code is always stays free
●Permissive is more developer friendly
●http://opensource.org/licenses
MidwestPHP 2015