I think I posted an earlier link to this document? Since then, however, VCV have changed their rules about taking over abandoned plugins, so I have updated my document to reflect that.
Also, due to sloppiness, I believe the link before was broken. Sorry.
In any case, I think this document is mostly accurate, and will be useful to plugin developers who haven’t thought a lot about licensing (i.e. most of us!).
# License Issues
When you first get involved with open source software some of the licensing issues can seem a bit abstract. But it can really pay to get this right as soon as you can. By the time some of this matters it can be too late to do anything about it.
These issues get even more complex if you are making VCV modules, for a couple of reasons. One is that you are going to be making modules that will probably “compete” directly with other VCV modules, and this may affect your thinking about who you want to use your “stuff”. Also, most VCV modules are distributed through VCV’s Library. This introduces some extra complexity and considerations.
## Caveat
License, copyright, and trademark are complex issues. I am not a lawyer, nor an expert in this topic by any means. Hopefully this article will inspire some developers to think more about these issues. But please to not take anything in this article as expert advice.
## End Of Caveat
Often it can be a good exercise to think through different scenarios, and whether you want to allow or forbid them.
1. Do you want people to use you code to make other VCV modules?
2. Do you want someone to make a module that looks exactly like yours?
3. Do you want someone to take your free code and make a paid product from it?
4. Are you using any third party code that requires your to license your code in a certain way?
5. If you decide you want to stop making VCV modules, do you want someone else to update your module and submit them back to the VCV library?
6. Do you want to allow other developers to use your instruction manuals?
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