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Friday 24 August 2012

Open source definition and distribution terms.

Open Source definition.


Broadly, the term 'open source software' is used to refer to those categories of software/programs whose licences do not impose any conditions. Such software, generally, give users freedom to run/use the software for any purpose, to study and modify the programs, and to redistribute copies of either the original or modified program.

What is important to know here is that in Open source software, the source code is freely available to the customer.


The distribution terms of open source software must comply with the following criteria:

1. Free redistribution. The licence shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software.No royalty or charge or other fee for such sale.

2. Source code. The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form.

3. Derived works. The licence must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the licence of the original software.

4. Integrity of the Author's source code. The licence must explicitly permit distribution of software built from modified source code.

5. No discrimination against persons or groups. The licence must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

6. No discrimination against fields of endeavor. The licence must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor.

7. Distribution of licence. The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional licence by those parties.

8. Licence must not be specific to product. All parties to whom the program is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original software distribution.

9. The licence must not restrict other software. e.g. The licence must not insist that all other programs distributed on the same medium must be open-source software.

10. Licence must be technology neutral. No provision of the licence may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface. 


be open minded. be open source.
mb.

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