Open Source

How does open source software licensing work?

Decisions on whether or not to incorporate a particular open source component into your closed-source software product should be guided by an awareness of the two different categories of open source licenses and the requirements of each.
How does open source software licensing work?

Decisions on whether or not to incorporate a particular open source component into your closed-source software product should be guided by an awareness of the two different categories of open source licenses and the requirements of each.

Open source software licenses are of two types:

  1. Copyleft Licenses — These licenses require that any software incorporating any of the copyleft-licensed source code must also be licensed under the same copyleft license. This means that the source code of the combined work must be made publicly available. This requirement is typically triggered by distribution of the combined work in binary form. Great care should be taken when incorporating copyleft-licensed source code into any products that are meant to be closed-source. Examples of copyleft licenses: GPL, LGPL, and the Mozilla Public License.
  2. Permissive Licenses — These licenses have fewer requirements. Permissively-licensed source code can be incorporated into closed-source software without triggering a requirement to apply the same license to the combined work or to disclose the source code of the combined work. Generally, the main requirements of permissive licenses are attribution (i.e., a notice must be provided that the combined work incorporates the permissively-licensed source code) and notice of the license (i.e., a copy of the permissive license must be provided with the combined work). These requirements are usually triggered by distribution of the combined work in binary form. Examples of permissive licenses: the MIT license, the BSD license, and the Apache License.

Back to Blog

Who is Dev Legal?

Sabir Ibrahim

Managing Attorney

During his 18-year career as an attorney and technology entrepreneur, Sabir has advised clients ranging from pre-seed startups to Fortune 50 companies on a variety of issues within the intersection of law and technology. He is a former associate at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, a former corporate counsel at Amazon, and a former senior counsel at Roku. He also founded and managed an IT managed services provider that served professional services firms in California, Oregon, and Texas.

Sabir is also co-founder of Chinstrap Community, a free resource center on commercial open source software (COSS) for entrepreneurs, investors, developers, attorneys, and others interested in open source software entrepreneurship.

Sabir received his BSE in Computer Science from the University of Michigan College of Engineering. He received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was an article editor of the Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review.

Sabir is licensed to practice in California and before the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). He is formerly a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Sabir Ibrahim, Managing Attorney

What can Dev Legal do for you?

Areas Of Expertise

We aim to advise clients in a manner that minimizes noncompliance risks without compromising operational efficiency or business interests. The areas in which we assist clients, either alone or in collaboration with affiliates, include:

Technology License Agreements

Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating software licenses, SaaS agreements, and other technology contracts.

Open Source Software Matters

License compliance, contribution policies, and open source business strategy.

SaaS Agreements

Subscription agreements, terms of service, and service level agreements for cloud-based services.

Intellectual Property Counseling

Trademark, copyright, and patent strategy for technology companies.

Product Counseling

Legal review of product features, marketing materials, and compliance with regulations.

Terms of Service and Privacy Policies

Creating and updating legal documents for websites and applications.

Assessment of Contractual Requirements

Reviewing obligations and ensuring compliance with complex agreements.

Information Management Policies

Data governance, retention policies, and information security procedures.

Risk Mitigation Strategy

Identifying legal risks and developing strategies to minimize exposure.

Join Our Email Newsletter List And Receive Our Free Compliance Explainer

Our one-page Dev Legal Compliance Explainer is an easy-reference guide to understanding compliance concepts for you or your clients. Our email newsletter includes information about news and recent developments in the technology regulatory landscape and is sent approximately once a month.

Contact Us

Get In Touch

Phone

510.255.3766

Mail

PO Box 721
Union City, CA 94587