[mapguide-users] Mapgiude OS Mobile Viewer

[Jackie Ng]

Hi Srecko,

I'm no lawyer, but a simple layman's explanation would be:

MIT/BSD: Do whatever you want with the code, just give me (you/your company)
written credit for it.

LGPL: If you modify this code, you're legally obligated to release these
modifications under LGPL. If you link/reference this code, the code
linking/referencing it does not have to be released under LGPL

GPL: If you modify this code, you're legally obligated to release these
modifications under the same licensing terms. If you link/reference this
code, that code also has to be released under the GPL.

My personal views about the above licenses:

I default to LGPL for desktop-based software/libs because you're free to use
my stuff un-modified with no obligations, but if you do modify my stuff, I'd
like these changes to be made publicly available as well.

GPL is a bit too extreme for me because I don't want to impose my licensing
terms on your code that's using my lib/framework. GPL is said to be "viral"
for this very reason and why I think it's a terrible license for web
applications/libraries/frameworks IMO. Sencha licenses their code under GPL
and that's why I don't touch it with a 10 foot pole, no matter how
attractive that framework is.

MIT/BSD is a bit too liberal for me because I don't want my works to be
free-loaded without some level of reciprocated contributions. LGPL enforces
this. MIT/BSD does not.

So I'd pick between MIT, BSD or LGPL. LGPL if you care about people
contributing back. MIT/BSD if you don't. Or you can license your code under
multiple licenses and the user can choose which license they want to use
your code under.

But yeah, putting your code on github/bitbucket/googlecode/etc will
encourage external contributions from other developers. 

My 2c.

- Jackie



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