ARTICLE · 16 FEBRUARY 2021

In 2021, Define Your Free License Policy

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Open source offers many advantages to software developers. However, integrating an open-source component into an IT solution implies respecting many constraints defined by the very principle of open source and the licenses used.

FranceIntellectual Property

Jean-Philippe Souyris

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Open source offers many advantages to software developers.

However, integrating an open-source component into an IT solution implies respecting many constraints defined by the very principle of open source and the licenses used.

More or less permissive, the "free" license can indeed have a significant impact on the value of the company and the legal security of the entire activity. Failure to comply with the terms of distribution of free software is regularly punished by the courts.

Thus, both the creation and the use of open-source software requires strategic decisions to be taken beforehand, which implies the definition of an informed open-source licensing policy.

What elements should be taken into account when defining such a policy?

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