The Linux® license protects open source software by allowing it to be modified and remodified without legal consequences, but still allows developers to charge for their software. The license requires the source code and the general public license to be included if the software is redistributed. Violators can be sued, and the Linux Foundation offers a program to ensure compliance.
The Linux® license is a legally enforceable software license known as a general public license. Its main provisions aim to protect the freedom to use open source software built on the Linux® platform and the individuals who use it. There are many different aspects to the Linux® license, but the main one is that the software can be modified and remodified by other users without legal consequences. The idea is known as copyleft.
Although the Linux® license protects open source software from copyright laws, developers of software operating under the general public license can still charge a fee for their software. Copyleft does not require that any variation of the original program be given free, but it does prohibit anyone from claiming exclusive rights to the program. If another software developer modifies and sells the updated version, that would be legal. The original creator cannot prosecute copyright infringements because the software was created under the general public license.
One of the ways the Linux® license enforces copyleft is by requiring that source code or programming information used to create the software be included in the software itself. If it is not included in the software, it must be readily available on the Internet. As long as the location is clearly detailed and accessible to the user, it complies with the Linux® license. Another requirement of the Linux® license is that a copy of the general public license must accompany the software. In this way the subsequent user or modifier of the software can read and understand the rights and limitations should he decide to modify the software.
These two Linux® licensing requirements — providing the source code and including the general public license — are applicable only if a user modifies the software with the intent to redistribute the product. If a user makes modifications to the source code for personal use and does not redistribute it, it is not necessary to follow the provisions of the general public license.
Users who violate the general public license can be sued by the original software designer who wrote the program under the Linux® license. Many court cases have upheld the general public license. The Linux Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting the Linux® platform, created a program to help software engineers understand and create open source software. This program checks users’ input of the source code to ensure that it complies with the general public license rules.
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