Licensing¶
This section provides essential information regarding licensing and copyright, focusing on United States copyright law and its implications for creative works, including software and digital content. It also covers the various types of software licenses relevant to projects like ReShadeFX.
Key topics include:
United States Copyright: A detailed explanation of what copyright is, what it protects (and doesn’t protect), and its purpose in incentivizing creation. This guide covers the exclusive rights granted to creators, the automatic nature of copyright upon creation, and the benefits of official registration. It also addresses how to identify copyright information in source code and the duration of copyright protection.
Software Licensing: An overview of software licensing principles, highlighting their importance for both creators and users. This section details common open-source licenses, distinguishing between permissive licenses (like MIT and Apache) and copyleft licenses (like GPL and LGPL), and discusses license compatibility. It also provides guidance on handling software without an explicit license.
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