Hi. Background: I've been working on a library, it's still pretty green, but i can start thinking about distributing it, has it already has some decent features. My problem: I don't know what license to chose, i've looked in the posts here in the forums, in the articles section, and on yahoo! and i find a lot of stuff on open source, free software, gpl and such, but little on comercial licenses. What i want: I want a license that, in short, doesn't allow ppl to make money off my work, or take credit for it. In long, i want a license that doesn't allow other ppl to make money selling my lib or some piece of software that uses it without a license, and that requires ppl that use the lib, to include credits. And finally allow non comercial use of the library for free. Help: Any help will be appreciated. =) [Edited by - xor on October 22, 2004 1:02:22 PM]

http://www.libsdl.org/license.php

While SDL is under the LGPL, you can see that it requires you to give prominent notice if you use it in your program.

Also, Trolltech has released the Free QT library under a dual-licensed model: the GPL or the QPL.
http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt/opensource.html

They also have a Commercial license: http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt/licensing.html

This license allows you to use the same code without using the GPL.


You might wish to do something similar. Basically, you want to make a license that says, "You are allowed to use this library in a non-commercial application so long as you give prominent notice that you are using it".

I am confused by the last line:
"And finally allow use of the library in non comercial projects for free"

Well, if a person can't use it in a commercial application, you already ruled that out. Correct me if I am wrong about your intent.

Also, you will probably to have in your license something along the lines of "You may redistribute this library so long as you do not ask for compensation for doing so and that the library is distributed under these same terms."

Quote:
I am confused by the last line:
"And finally allow use of the library in non comercial projects for free"

Well, if a person can't use it in a commercial application, you already ruled that out. Correct me if I am wrong about your intent.

Yes you are right.
I said comercial use of the lib would require a license, but didn't specify what the non comercial use would require.
I was trying to be clear, but i guess it wasn't really needed, i know nothing of 'law talk'.
Thanks a lot for your post. =)

I'm thinking about using a modified version of the Torque Engine EULA

You want the Qt Open Source Software License or something like whatever FMOD uses.

Thank you Kwizatz. =)

The FMOD license is really similar to what i'm looking for.