Open Source Definition: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Open Source Definition is used by the Open Source Initiative to determine whether or not a software license can be considered open source. The definition was based on the Debian Free Software Guidelines, written and adapted primarily by Bruce Perens.

Under the Open Source Definition, licenses must meet ten conditions in order to be considered open source licenses:

1. Free Redistribution: the software can be freely given away or sold.

2. Source Code: the source code must either be included or freely obtainable.

3. Derived Works: redistribution of modifications must be allowed.

4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code: licenses may require that modifications are redistributed only as patches.

5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups: no-one can be locked out.

6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor: commercial users cannot be excluded.

7. Distribution of License: rights must apply to everyone who receives the program.

8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product: the program cannot be licensed only as part of a larger distribution.

9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software: the license cannot insist that any other software it is distributed with must also be open source.

10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral: no click-wrap licenses or other medium-specific ways of accepting the license must be required.