Open Source Philosophy & Licenses

Module 1 - GIST 604B

Why Licenses Matter for GIS Professionals

What is "Open Source"?

📖 Definition:

Source code that is:

  • Available
  • Modifiable
  • Redistributable

💡 "Free as in FREEDOM, not free as in beer"

(libre, not gratis)

Free as in freedom, not free as in beer

The Four Essential Freedoms

  1. 🎯 USE the software for any purpose
  2. 🔍 STUDY how it works and modify it
  3. 📤 REDISTRIBUTE copies to help others
  4. 🔄 DISTRIBUTE modified versions
    (so the community benefits)

Open Source Powers GIS

  • 🗺️ QGIS
    Professional desktop GIS - zero license fees
  • 🗄️ PostGIS
    Enterprise spatial databases at scale
  • 🐧 Linux
    Powers web servers, Android, supercomputers
  • 📊 GDAL
    Foundation of ALL geospatial software

Why This Matters for GIS Professionals

  • ✅ Accessibility
    No fees → Students, NGOs, developing nations
  • ✅ Transparency
    Audit algorithms, understand methods
  • ✅ Customization
    Modify tools for specific workflows
  • ✅ Career Development
    Public portfolio, real contributions
  • ✅ Industry Reality
    NASA, Google, Planet all use open source

The Problem Without Licenses

  • ❌ Unclear what users can legally do
  • ❌ Code might be "stolen" and closed
  • ❌ No protection for contributors
  • ❌ Legal uncertainty prevents adoption
  • ❌ Collaboration becomes impossible

⚠️ Without a license = All Rights Reserved

"All Rights Reserved" = Default copyright
Nobody can use, modify, or distribute (even if public!)

Licenses Are ENABLERS, Not Barriers

  • ✓ Clarity - Explicit permissions & obligations
  • ✓ Protection - For creators AND users
  • ✓ Trust - Known rules for collaboration
  • ✓ Compatibility - What can be combined
  • ✓ Legal Standing - Foundation if needed

💡 Think: "Rules of the road" for collaboration

The License Spectrum

Public Domain ← Permissive ← Weak Copyleft ← Strong Copyleft
    (CC0)         (MIT, BSD)     (LGPL, MPL)      (GPL, AGPL)

Most Permissive ←──────────────────────────→ Most Protective

💡 Copyleft = "Share-alike" requirement
If you distribute modified versions, you must share them under the same license

All allow commercial use!

Differ in sharing requirements for modifications

Permissive Licenses: MIT, BSD, Apache

  • ✅ Minimal restrictions
  • ✅ Can be used in proprietary software
  • ✅ Main requirement: Attribution (give credit)
  • ✅ Maximum adoption strategy

Examples:

  • Leaflet (web mapping) - BSD
  • pandas (data analysis) - BSD
  • React (Facebook) - MIT

💼 Companies love these: Low friction

MIT License BSD License Apache Software Foundation

Copyleft Licenses: GPL, AGPL

  • ✅ "Share-alike" philosophy
  • ✅ Derivatives must remain open
  • ✅ Protects user freedoms forever
  • ✅ Community protection strategy

Examples:

  • QGIS - GPL v2
  • PostGIS - GPL v2
  • Linux kernel - GPL v2

💡 Commercial use allowed!
Restriction: Must share modifications if distributed

Case Study: QGIS - GPL v2

Why GPL?

  • Ensures QGIS stays open forever
  • All plugins must be GPL-compatible
  • Community investment protected

Can you...

  • ✅ Use commercially? YES
  • ✅ Charge for QGIS? YES
  • ✅ Modify it? YES
  • ⚠️ Distribute modifications? Must share source

Strategy: Protect the commons

Case Study: Leaflet - BSD 2-Clause

Why BSD?

  • Maximize adoption everywhere
  • Minimal barriers for companies
  • Enable proprietary products built on top

Used by:

  • Mapbox (commercial)
  • CARTO (commercial)
  • Facebook, GitHub, NPR

Strategy: Ubiquity through simplicity

Case Study: GDAL - MIT/X License

Why MIT?

  • Be the universal foundation
  • Used by everyone, everywhere
  • Broad integration across sectors

Users include:

  • NASA, Google, Planet Labs
  • Esri (proprietary GIS)
  • Open source projects
  • Academic institutions

Strategy: Universal infrastructure

What This Means for YOU

As a User:

  • ✓ Can I use commercially? (Usually YES!)
  • ✓ Do I need attribution? (Check license)
  • ✓ Can I modify? (YES, but sharing rules vary)

As a Contributor:

  • ✓ What license for my project? (Choose strategically)
  • ✓ Can I contribute to GPL projects? (YES, if you agree)

As a Professional:

  • ✓ License compliance matters in industry
  • ✓ Understanding = Informed tool selection
  • ✓ Professional competence signal

💼 This is a career-relevant skill

Common Misconceptions - BUSTED

  • ❌ "Open source = no commercial use"
    ✅ Most licenses explicitly ALLOW commercial use
  • ❌ "GPL = can't charge money"
    ✅ GPL allows selling—just share modifications
  • ❌ "MIT = public domain"
    ✅ MIT requires attribution (not public domain)
  • ❌ "All open source licenses are the same"
    ✅ Significant differences in requirements

💡 Read the license—don't assume!

Essential License Resources

  • 🔗 choosealicense.com
    Plain English summaries
  • 🔗 tldrlegal.com
    Software licenses explained simply
  • 🔗 opensource.org/licenses
    OSI-approved licenses
  • 🔗 GitHub license picker
    Built into repository creation

📚 Bookmark these now!

📊 Quick Poll: Your Open Source Experience

✏️ Poll 2: Open Source Software Experience

Question: How comfortable are you with open source software in general?

🆕 Brand new → 🔍 Aware but rarely use → 📚 Use some tools → 💼 Regular use → ⭐ Active contributor

⏱️ Takes 1 minute

→ Vote in Module 1 Polls

Your vote is anonymous • Helps instructor calibrate examples

Next: M1A1 - Open Source License Analysis

What you'll do:

  • 📋 Compare MIT, GPL, Apache, BSD licenses
  • 🎯 Analyze realistic GIS scenarios
  • 💡 Make informed license decisions
  • 📝 Create structured analysis document

Time: 1.5-2 hours
Points: 8 points
Format: Practical scenarios, not abstract legal theory

Ready to apply this knowledge!

Key Takeaways

  • ✓ Open source = Freedom, not just free price
  • ✓ Licenses ENABLE collaboration through clarity
  • ✓ Permissive vs Copyleft = Different strategies
  • ✓ All major licenses allow commercial use
  • ✓ License literacy = Professional asset

🚀 The GIS industry runs on open source

Ready for M1A1? Let's go!