Open source licenses
In episode 196 of the (Python) Podcast.init a very commonly discussed topic among open source programmers is covered, which I wanted to share here.
The big takeaway is that just because you put your code publicly visible online, it doesn't mean that it's "free" for anyone to use. At least not until you slap a license on top of it, and depending on what your goals are with putting the code publicly visible, you may want to choose the license carefully.
As a developer and user of open source code, you interact with software and digital media every day. What is often overlooked are the rights and responsibilities conveyed by the intellectual property that is implicit in all creative works. Software licenses are a complicated legal domain in their own right, and they can often conflict with each other when you factor in the web of dependencies that your project relies on. In this episode Luis Villa, Co-Founder of Tidelift, explains the catagories of software licenses, how to select the right one for your project, and what to be aware of when you contribute to someone else’s code.
This is a must-listen for everyone putting their stuff in public git repos, such as e.g. GitHub: What You Need To Know About Open Source Licenses And Intellectual Property - Episode 196