licensing

[seventeen]

I have developed a cms, (almost) entirely from scratch, that I would like to release. for free. But I have incorporated a few libraries that I did not write, for instance, it uses jQuery (which is dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses), and flot (which is also licensed under the MIT).

I need to know what license I have to release the new package under so that everything is kosher and so that I don't step on anyone's toes.

I don't know much, if anything, about the legalize of it all, I just don't want to get in trouble. hah. Also, it would be nice if I could get a license that would prohibit folks modifying a tiny part and then selling it as a new package.

Thanks for your help!

 

[design-is]

If you want to give something away for free, I don't think there's anything special you have to do. Just make it clear that it's free on you download page and list any restrictions you'd like to apply. Or say that you're releasing it under the GPL or MIT license.

If you're releasing it free, truly free, then what do you have to worry about?

But I'm not legally informed either, so I could be entirely wrong

/Doug

 

[seventeen]

While I haven't jumped into reading either the MIT or GPL licenses in depth, I believe that the GPL, at least, requires that any modification or implementation of the licensed software must be released under the same or a similar license... and I'm not entirely certain of what that means.

Like I said, I would like to be protected from people altering a tiny bit of my code then selling it as their own software.

 

[design-is]

You should have a read through them, they outline things pretty well I think. From memory I'm pretty sure you can take things linenced under either and sell them. In their basic form they allow poeple to use the product for personal and commercial projects, in the case of GPL the creator can add his/her own conditions as well. And yeh, there is definitely something about others being able to use and develop your code... But as I said this is just from memory. You'd be best thoroughly reading the licenses in question and then asking for someone here to clarify points if you need it.

I still question why you're worried if you want to give it away... Surely if you give it away for free people can do what they want with it. Your code will still be your code, you'll have copyright.

I think I'm missing something...

/Doug

-EDIT-
I must be missing something, otherwise they wouldn't of bothered with the licenses in the first place! Sorry for not being much use

And I'm probably also getting confused with Creative Commons a little...