The Licenses
The following is a rough guide to the current licenses supported on The Code Project. Please read them carefully by following the links to the license pages themselves because some categorisations (such as whether code can be used commercially, or whether extensions must be release to the public) depends on the situtation. This is merely a guide: it's up to you to read the actual license carefully before using code licensed by each license or assigned a license to code you submit.
The main points subject to the terms of the License are:
- Source Code and Executable Files can be used in commercial applications;
- Source Code and Executable Files can be redistributed; and
- Source Code can be modified to create derivative works.
- No claim of suitability, guarantee, or any warranty whatsoever is provided. The software is provided "as-is".
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
Based on the Mozilla Public License (MPL) that makes it more applicable for use outside the Mozilla Foundation.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
Used by Microsoft. Compiled derived code can be distributed, for both commercial and non-commercial use. The source code, however, cannot be redistributed
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
Used by Mozilla and Firefox, among others. The patent clauses are not acceptable to some.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
Derived from the IBM Public License and influenced by the Mozilla Public License, and used by some Microsoft projects on SourceForge.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
A newer version of the Common Public License that is in some cases more acceptable to business.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
A very old license with essentially no restrictions on the use of the code. It also provides very little in the way of protection for authors or users. It is the same as the BSD license without the 'no endorsement' clause.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
A very old license with essentially no restrictions on the use of the code. It also provides very little in the way of protection for authors or users. It is the same as the MIT license except that it includes a clause preventing the use of the author's name for endorsement.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
Slightly more restrictive (but still very open) version of the BSD or MIT license that adds patent clauses. Read carefully.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: True
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
A license that requires a link be visible on works that use this license. "Share alike" is what it sounds, you can share this work as long as that work has a license similar to this one.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: False
Is a viral licence: True
A license with an emphasis on freedom of use and re-use, with a few restrictions.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: False
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: False
A derivative of the GPL that was intended to allow non-GPL code to work with, and call GPL code. The author of this license asks that you only use this license if your are licensing functionality already commonly available.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: True
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: True
Is a viral licence: True
A common but misunderstood license. This allows developers to freely use the software as long as they use the same (or an even less restrictive) license for parts of the program that they wrote themselves. Viral in nature. Read carefully and make sure you understand the implications of using this license. Unacceptable to many.
Provides copyright protection: True
Can be used in commercial applications: False
Bug fixes / extensions must be released to the public domain: True
Provides an explicit patent license: False
Can be used in closed source applications: False
Is a viral licence: True
