Help choosing license for new projects

[Ed Keith]

--- On Mon, 7/12/10, Jake b <ninmonkeys at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm starting a new python code
> project. What license do you suggest? I
> am searching, but I'm not finding a simple comparison of
> licenses. So
> I don't know which to use. Maybe MIT or Apache or LGPL or
> BSD?
> 
> Are there certain licenses to avoid using because of
> interaction
> problems between libraries using GPL2 / GPL3 / MIT / LGPL.
> / BSD with
> my own?

I generally avoid GPL, one of the reasons in interaction with other licenses.

> 
> I want:
> 1] Pretty much let anyone use it. Users do not have to
> include source
> code, as long as I get credit. (which I think normallly is
> a textfile
> with project url + name?)

This rules out GPL.

> 
> 2] (if it matters) I will be using different combinations
> of pyglet,
> pygame, wxPython, etc.

You will need to look at the individual licenses to see is they have iterations with other licenses.

> 
> 3] I want the option to use my own code in something
> commercial at a later date.
> 
> Does #3 complicate things, or is fine when including author
> info?

You can always re-license i, as long as you have the copyright to all the code. If other people have made contributions you will need to get their permission before you can re-license.


> 
> The choices for google code projects are:
>   Apache License 2.0

I do not use it, but it is good.

>   Eclipse license 1.0

I have not read this one, so I can not comment.

>   GPLv2
>   GPLv3

Incomparable with point one.

>   GNU lesser GPL

You would need to decide whether this is comparable with your first requirement. 

LGPL requires that users be able to relink with new versions of the library.  This has always bothered me because relinking without recompiling (even when dynamic linking) in C/C++ is a good way to crash a program. But this should not be a problem with Python.

>   MIT license

This one is good.

>   Mozilla Public license 1.1

I avoid this one.

>   New BSD License

This one is good.

I personalty like the Boost License, it has very few restrictions. 

I hope this helps,

    -EdK

Ed Keith
e_d_k at yahoo.com

Blog: edkeith.blogspot.com