How does open source licensing work?
Open source licensing is a form of licensing under which the source code of a program is made available under terms that allow recipients to modify and redistribute the program for free. While you can charge a fee for the initial distribution of the program, you must allow the recipient the right to modify and distribute it, without having to obtain your consent or pay you any additional royalties. So, for example, if you write a program and you want to make it available as open source you cannot prohibit commercial use and cannot prohibit the recipient from modifying your program and then selling their modified version. Open source licensing emphasizes freedom — freedom to modify and distribute programs — and is appropriate where you want to make your program available for others to build on and distribute. However, if you don’t want to allow people to sell your program or use it for commercial purposes, or you want to keep your code secret, it may not be appropriate for you. For more
