The Pattern Language of Software Licensing

Software licensing and attendant technologies manage the creation, use, and distribution of software, and also allow for the administration of the resource and the revenue stream from exploitation of the product where appropriate. Although a software license is simply an agreement forming a legal relationship between the user of the software and the vendor, it is a vital part in the evolution of the software idea to market product. Software developers are always seeking new ways to improve the licensing mechanisms that are currently used. The diversity of the business models drives the need for different types of software licenses. In this paper we present a pattern language for software licensing: a set of patterns that can be used by novice or senior programmers to design and integrate an appropriate license type into their software products. Each pattern provides a solution to a well-known problem.