[OpenRelief Developer] Code and Hardware licensing

[Shane Coughlan]

Dear all

Licensing for hardware and software can get complex.  We will be using a lot of third-party hardware and software too.

Therefore I suggest the following approach:

(1) If we build on or for an existing project, we use the same license as that project. That helps avoid license issues and ensure that existing project members find it easier to develop and use our code without adjusting their workflow.

(2) If we make unique code or hardware, we select a license that will allow people to use, study, share and improve the tool for a long time. I suggest using the "GPLv2 or any later version" license. It will allow direct compatibility with the Linux kernel, our proposed autopilot code (Ardupilot, GPLv3) and the Apache 2.0 license (an increasingly common choice). That should cover most bases. The same license can apply to hardware and software.

Regards

Shane