A Large-Scale Empirical Study of Open Source License Usage: Practices and Challenges
Jiaqi Wu, Lingfeng Bao, Xiaohu Yang, Xin Xia, Xing Hu · 2024
The popularity of open source software (OSS) has led to a significant increase in the number of available licenses, each with their own set of terms and conditions. This proliferation of licenses has made it increasingly challenging for developers to select an appropriate license for their projects and to ensure that they are complying with the terms of those licenses. As a result, there is a need for empirical studies to identify current practices and challenges in license usage, both to help developers make informed decisions about license selection and to ensure that OSS is being used and distributed in a legal and ethical manner. Moreover, the development of new licenses might be required to better meet the needs of the open source community and address emerging legal issues.