Whether you realise it or not, copyright flows through every element of the software that you build and use. Every line of code or documentation you write, every external library you import, every UI element you design, are all covered by copyright.

If software development were a map, the region for copyright and licensing would be labeled “Here Be Dragons.” Without a basic understanding of the concepts of copyright and licensing, you could be putting yourself and your employer at risk of crushing intellectual property lawsuits.

In this talk I’ll present the basics of copyright and licensing as it relates to software development in general and free and open source software in particular. Some of the topics I will cover:

• When is your work copyrightable?
• Who owns the copyright to what you create?
• What is a license and why does it matter?
• What’s so special about free and open source licenses, anyway?
• When do you have to hire a lawyer?

Presenters:

VM (Vicky) Brasseur