Open Source Licence
Definition
A legal framework that governs the use, modification, and distribution of open source software, defining the rights and obligations of users and contributors. Key licence types include permissive licences (MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD) that allow broad commercial use with minimal restrictions, and copyleft licences (GPL, AGPL) that require derivative works to be released under the same terms. Understanding open source licence obligations is critical for technology due diligence, as undisclosed copyleft dependencies can create material IP risk in M&A transactions.
Complementary Terms
Concepts that frequently appear alongside Open Source Licence in practice.
A regulatory authorisation permitting a firm to issue electronic money — digitally stored monetary value representing a claim on the issuer. In the UK, e-money licences are granted by the FCA under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011.
A regulatory authorisation granted to financial technology companies permitting them to offer specific financial services such as payments, lending, investment management, or insurance. Licencing requirements vary by jurisdiction and activity — in the UK, the FCA regulates fintech firms under frameworks including the Payment Services Regulations, the Electronic Money Regulations, and the FCA Regulatory Sandbox.
A regulatory and technological framework that enables third-party financial service providers to access consumer banking data through secure APIs, with the customer's explicit consent. In the UK, open banking was mandated by the CMA's Open Banking Remedy (2018) and is governed by the Open Banking Implementation Entity.
Legal rights that grant the creator of original works exclusive control over their reproduction, distribution, and adaptation. In a business context, copyrights protect software code, written content, marketing materials, training programmes, and creative works as intangible assets.
A systematic review of a company's intellectual property portfolio — including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, and licences — to assess ownership, validity, enforceability, freedom to operate, and commercial relevance. IP audits are essential in M&A due diligence, technology licensing negotiations, and litigation preparation.
A legal assessment that determines whether a product, process, or technology can be commercialised without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties. FTO analysis involves searching and reviewing granted patents and pending applications in relevant jurisdictions to identify potential infringement risks.
The ecosystem of business models, partnerships, and revenue streams enabled by application programming interfaces that allow software systems to communicate and share data. APIs enable companies to monetise their data and functionality, create platform ecosystems, and embed services into third-party applications.
The ability of different information technology systems, software applications, and data formats to communicate, exchange data, and use the information that has been exchanged effectively. Interoperability is a critical design requirement in open banking, healthcare IT, and enterprise software, and is increasingly mandated by regulation.
Put this knowledge to work
Use Opagio's free tools to measure and grow the intangible assets that drive your business value.