It’s easy to become a software developer without ever having learned about software licences and how they might affect you (or your company!). It’s also easy to assume that because code is available on GitHub or as a package in PyPI it’s free to use with no restrictions. This usually isn’t the case!
In this overview, you’ll learn about different types of licences and how some are or aren’t compatible with each other. Most of the focus will be on open-source licences, though I’ll also discuss how open-source licences work with closed source code. We’ll go over a few common licences in more detail so you understand your obligations when using code under that licence, and highlight some Python packages that use them.
I'm a software developer with a love of Python & open source and more hobbies than I can find time for. I'm particularly enthusiastic about board games, birdwatching, languages and science fiction & fantasy. I also co-run the Vancouver PyLadies meetup group.