MIT License
MIT License is a permissive free software license originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is one of the most popular open-source licenses used in software development and is commonly used for licensing both code and model weights.
Overview[edit | edit source]
The MIT License is characterized by its simplicity and permissive nature. It allows users to do almost anything with the licensed software, including using, copying, modifying, merging, publishing, distributing, sublicensing, and selling copies, with minimal restrictions.
The license requires only that the original copyright notice and license text be included in all copies or substantial portions of the software. Unlike more restrictive licenses such as the GNU General Public License (GPL), the MIT License does not require derivative works to be released under the same license terms.
Key Permissions[edit | edit source]
Under the MIT License, users are granted the following rights:
- Commercial use: The software can be used for commercial purposes
- Modification: The software can be modified and adapted
- Distribution: The software can be distributed to others
- Private use: The software can be used privately without disclosure
- Sublicensing: The software can be incorporated into projects with different licenses
Requirements[edit | edit source]
The MIT License has minimal requirements:
- License and copyright notice: The original license text and copyright notice must be included with any distribution of the software
- No trademark use: The license does not grant permission to use the licensor's trademarks or trade names
Limitations[edit | edit source]
The MIT License provides no warranty and limits liability:
- No warranty: The software is provided "as is" without any express or implied warranties
- Limited liability: The license disclaims liability for damages arising from the use of the software
- No patent protection: Unlike some other licenses, the MIT License does not explicitly grant patent rights
Comparison with Other Licenses[edit | edit source]
| License | Commercial Use | Modification | Distribution | Copyleft | Patent Grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Apache 2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GPL v3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BSD-3-Clause | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
License Text[edit | edit source]
The complete MIT License text is relatively short:
MIT License Copyright (c) [year] [fullname] Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.