Most software today is built using a combination of off-the-shelf components, open-source software, and proprietary source code. Many software companies do not fully appreciate the implications and the complexity of incorporating third-party components, and, by extension, their license agreements, into an application that is intended to be distributed or sold. Even open-source software is usually governed by one of a variety of common licenses, which differ significantly in their terms. There are many situations in which it is not clear whether a particular use, adaptation, or combination of software or code is allowed under the license agreement.
What We Do
At Quandary Peak, our experts:
- Understand the technical implications of the legal jargon used in common license agreements.
- Analyze software composition to determine the presence of open source libraries.
- Assist in licensing disputes by analyzing how the components in a system are related to rights and obligations laid out in licenses.
- Document findings in a form accessible to non-technical people.
- Determine whether source code of a software system was used or copied in another system in violation of the license agreement.
- Collect electronic evidence proving or disproving alleged illegal distribution of copyrighted software.
What We Know
- GNU General Public License (GPL) and copyleft
- Software composition analysis (SCA) using WhiteSource and FOSSA
- Mozilla Public License (MPL)
- Apache License
- Oracle Java Binary Code License (BCL) for Java
- End user license agreements (EULAs)
- SDK agreements
- Software distribution channels (p2p networks)
- Code clone analysis