License

[wendtke]

Update #11 and #45 with final decision

• End-user license (MIT vs. GPL)
  "Worst" case scenario: company takes psyphr, puts GUI on it, and sells it (could be with or without attribution). Let's talk through the scenario with each license and consider if we are comfortable with which/either outcome.

• Can we change license after making repo public or submitting/publishing?
  GBA 20190714 suggested not to do so:

Yes, I think you should be able to change licenses down the line, with all coauthors’ agreement. I’d try not to too often, though—if people ever use it within other things they make, I think a change from MIT to GPL might affect what they can do (if they’re creating under a license that isn’t open source). The general consideration, when you are maintaining a package, is to try to limit the changes you make that could break a lot of things “downstream” for people who might be building off your package. This, of course, is only a big issue when the package has a lot of users, which isn’t the case for plenty of packages (although I think yours could get a lot of downstream development, where people are using your package as a dependency in their own package). But it’s not the end of the world if you change your license later, I think.

Resources from GBA
R Packages
Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing

[wendtke]

@geanders also recommended we discuss this licensing concern with CSU folks (maybe these people)

[iqis]

Would the university care? It may be worth it to ask. Like, hey we're doing this psyphr thing and it benefited from such and such university resources, we're planning to release it under XXX license, is it OK?

[wendtke]

Yes, I will check with CSU -- once @geanders and I find the right person to contact!

[geanders]

I've talked with Steve Foster (https://csuventures.org/about/people/steve-foster/) at CSU Ventures before, and I think he might be helpful to talk with. If he doesn't know answers, he might be able to point to someone who does.

[wendtke]

Just emailed him.

[wendtke]

We are going to stick with MIT.

[iqis]

Done @ 389ba1e