Navigating Open Source Licenses: Understanding Risks for Businesses in the Digital Age
Open-source software is a cornerstone of tech innovation providing unlimited source code access, but its unrestricted nature may pose legal and operational risks. The numerous licenses available, including GNU GPL, MIT, Apache, BSD, and Creative Commons, have different permission levels and constraints, presenting different challenges. Businesses using open-source software should carefully understand license implications, perform regular license audits, establish clear documentation and policy guidelines, and receive expert legal advice to avoid the risks of license incompatibility, copyleft enforcement, patent infringement, and improper attribution.
