Open Source Software - MIT license question

Author

MIT license question

Matt Hegarty

2007-06-27, 10:08 pm

Just wanted to double check the legal position regarding the MIT license.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_License

AIUI the MIT license is one of the most liberal around - is it therefore
possible to take a code library released under the MIT license, and use
it as the basis for a commercial, closed source application? Am I able
to modify the code as I wish and keep my modifications closed source?

What would I be obliged to do as the author of the commercial app wrt to
the library I have used, if anything?

The license states:

"The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software."

Doesn't that by definition mean that any app which uses a library based
on the license is also open source?

Regards
Matt

Thomas Dickey

2007-06-28, 8:08 am

Matt Hegarty <mash_909@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Just wanted to double check the legal position regarding the MIT license.

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_License

> AIUI the MIT license is one of the most liberal around - is it therefore
> possible to take a code library released under the MIT license, and use
> it as the basis for a commercial, closed source application? Am I able
> to modify the code as I wish and keep my modifications closed source?

> What would I be obliged to do as the author of the commercial app wrt to
> the library I have used, if anything?

no.

> The license states:

> "The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
> included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software."

> Doesn't that by definition mean that any app which uses a library based
> on the license is also open source?

no.

--
Thomas E. Dickey
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

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