Open Source Licenses

[Bosco]

Hi!

I've recently started becoming interested in Open Source software, and I've got a quick question about Open Source licenses.

As I understand it, Open Source licenses allow the user to do pretty much anything they would like with the software except re-distribute it under any license except an Open Source one. Do I understand correctly?

If that is true, it's so strange to me since I am so used to very restrictive licenses from Microsoft and the like.

My main question is this:

Once I've downloaded an Open Source image editor (like the GIMP) and found an Open Source font (like Bitstream Vera), do Open Source licenses allow me to start designing graphics and logos and (provided they are good enough) sell them?

Thanks!

[SVB]

The license provided with GIMP allows you to sell your creations as you wish. They are your own designs created using the GIMP tool and so it is perfectly fine to sell these. But if you use 3rd party fonts, brushes etc, you will have to look at their individual terms of use. I have seen brushes with terms of use agreements stating the author of the brush must be acknowledged etc.

[SVB]

Regarding your specific example of Bitstream Vera, it is perfectly fine to sell graphics and logos containing these fonts. You are selling your graphic, you aren't selling the font itself.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of the fonts accompanying this license (“Fonts”) and associated documentation files (the “Font Software”), to reproduce and distribute the Font Software, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the Font Software, and to permit persons to whom the Font Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright and trademark notices and this permission notice shall be included in all copies of one or more of the Font Software typefaces.

The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and in particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts may be modified and additional glyphs or characters may be added to the Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not containing either the words “Bitstream” or the word “Vera”.

This License becomes null and void to the extent applicable to Fonts or Font Software that has been modified and is distributed under the “Bitstream Vera” names.

The Font Software may be sold as part of a larger software package but no copy of one or more of the Font Software typefaces may be sold by itself.

[Bosco]

Thanks!

Is this the case with all Open Source software?

[SVB]

There are a number of different open source licenses, covering almost everything. The basis of all of them is the access to the source materials of the base product, allowing uers to create their own products based around this source. The majority of licenses will require you to acknowledge the open source software in at least the documentation of your own product. But if you are simply using the software for what it was made to do, eg, creating graphics using GIMP, it's a safe bet to say that the majority of the time, as long as it's your own work (no copyright infringements) you can sell as much as you want. Just don't sell the software itself.

[Bosco]

OK, that's what I was hoping for.

Thanks for your help!