Open Source Licensing
Licensing is an important design consideration when using Open Source operating systems, applications, and libraries in a commercial environment. Understanding and tracking the licenses used for the software on the system is essential to make sure that all legal requirements are met.
While software licensing requires careful evaluation, open source software is used very commonly and effectively in commercial environments without issue. Each software component must be used according to the terms of the license under which it is released. For example, a different set of rules apply to using a library released under the GPL versus one released under the LGPL. Common open source licenses include the GPL, LGPL, MIT, BSD, and many others.
EMAC will provide source code and configuration to customers for all open source software that has been delivered in binary form according to the terms of the applicable license. The Open Source Initiative maintains a list of approved Open Source Licenses. Note that this may not be an exhaustive list of all open source licenses encountered.
EMAC is able to provide assistance to customers navigating through this sometimes confusing landscape. Please contact EMAC if you need help with determining how the licenses will affect your project. EMAC has a great deal of experience with assisting customers with licensing concerns.
