What license should the government or contractor choose/select when releasing open source software?
It depends on the goals for the project, however, here are some guidelines: • Public domain where required by law. You must release it as “public domain” (when releasing it at all) if it was developed by a US government employee as part of their official duties. Otherwise, choose some existing OSS license, since all existing licenses add some legal protections from lawsuits. (The “MIT license” is similar to public domain release, but with some legal protection from lawsuits.) • Release modifications under same license. If it is a modification of an existing project, or a plug-in to it, release it under the project’s original license (and possibly other licenses). This way, the software can be incorporated in the existing project, saving time and money in support. • Consider anticipated uses. If it must work with other components, or is anticipated to work with other components, ensure that the license will permit those anticipated uses. In particular, will it be directly linked with pr
Related Questions
- Can the government release software under an open source license if it was developed by contractors under government contract?
- Can contractors develop software for the government and then release it under an open source license?
- What license should the government or contractor choose/select when releasing open source software?
