UK: What is an open-source software licence?

In the UK, an open-source software licence generally grants the licensee the right to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute software in source code form for free. Certain non-profit organisations – such as the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation – have published definitions of open-source licences that have general acceptance in the technology industry. 

For example, the criteria for open-source software licences under the definition the Open Source Initiative has published includes the following:

• Permission to redistribute the software. 
• Permission to access the software's source code, and permission to distribute source code as well as object code.
• Permission to create modifications and derivative works of the software.
• The licenced rights extend to all recipients/users of the applicable software.
• Rights granted are not conditioned on the use of the licenced software in specific products, technologies or interfaces.

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