Commercial-Use-Restricted on Your License

All Rights Reserved

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“All Rights Reserved” is the default state under modern copyright law for any original work — software, writing, images. No one other than the copyright holder may copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without explicit permission.

Paradoxically, publishing code on GitHub without a licence makes it “all rights reserved” by default. Viewers can read it, but cannot legally use it. If your goal is for others to use your work, pick an open-source or Creative Commons licence instead.

Business Source License 1.1

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Business Source License (BUSL) is source-available today and converts to an open-source license (chosen by the licensor, typically Apache-2.0 or GPL) on a pre-declared “Change Date”, typically four years after release. Until that date, commercial use outside a declared “Additional Use Grant” is restricted.

It is popular with venture-backed infrastructure companies that want to ship source code without giving competitors a free path to offer the software as a managed service.

Elastic License 2.0

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Elastic License 2.0 (ELv2) is a short source-available license with three simple restrictions: you cannot provide the software as a managed service, you cannot circumvent license keys, and you cannot remove or alter licensing or copyright notices.

Everything else — use, modification, distribution, private use, commercial use in your own products — is allowed. ELv2 is much shorter than BUSL and does not have a conversion date.

ELv2 is not OSI-approved.

End-User License Agreement

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

An End-User License Agreement (EULA) is a binding contract between a software vendor and an end user. Commercial software almost always ships with one. A typical EULA covers: licence grant (usually a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use), restrictions (no reverse engineering, no redistribution, no removing copyright notices), ownership, warranty disclaimer, limitation of liability, termination, and governing law.

The EULA published on this site is a starting point only. Jurisdictions differ on what is enforceable. Have a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction review the EULA before you ship.