GitHub Open Source Licence Choice Explainer (Education Only)
Understand common licence types and what to ask a lawyer.
The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.
[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Explain open source licence choices for my project. What the project is and who uses it: [PROJECT_DESCRIPTION]. Whether I want others to use it commercially, modify it and share changes: [MY_WISHES]. Dependencies and their licences: [DEPENDENCY_LICENCES]. Describe in plain words the difference between permissive and copyleft licences, what attribution means, patent clauses at a high level, and how compatibility with dependencies can matter. Give a table with three columns (permissive, weak copyleft, strong copyleft) and rows for use in closed products, sharing changes, attribution, patent terms and compatibility, with one sentence per row. Do not say which licence is right for me; give considerations. Add a ten-question worksheet to bring to a lawyer or community adviser, for example whether I want companies to include the work in closed products, whether I want modifications shared back, how I feel about patent claims, whether I plan to relicense later or accept contributions from others, whether an employer or client has rights in the code, and which dependencies constrain me. Add what to ask a lawyer (contributor agreements, trademark, dependency conflicts) and where the licence file should live in the repository. This is educational and not legal advice; read the actual licence text and consult a qualified adviser before deciding [VERIFY].
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