# \#licenses

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/tag/licenses/90.md

[Latest](https://discourse.julialang.org/latest.md) · [Categories](https://discourse.julialang.org/categories.md) · [Tags](https://discourse.julialang.org/tags.md)

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## [How does licensing work for packages that wrap other-licensed binaries?](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-does-licensing-work-for-packages-that-wrap-other-licensed-binaries/104350)

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**Author:** [@bilderbuchi](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bilderbuchi)\
**Replies:** 25\
**Last updated:** [June 9, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-does-licensing-work-for-packages-that-wrap-other-licensed-binaries/104350 "2026-06-09T19:12:24Z")

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The whole licensing thing is quite gnarly but important, it also affects other packages. For example, Trixi.jl has dependencies that are GPL (not LGPL, p4est and t8code), but claims MIT for itself – how does that work? …

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## [\[ANN\] ReusePkgTemplates.jl and ReuseLicensing.jl: REUSE-compliant packages with explicit package-level licensing](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-reusepkgtemplates-jl-and-reuselicensing-jl-reuse-compliant-packages-with-explicit-package-level-licensing/137504)

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**Author:** [@gwr](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gwr)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [June 8, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-reusepkgtemplates-jl-and-reuselicensing-jl-reuse-compliant-packages-with-explicit-package-level-licensing/137504 "2026-06-08T19:56:29Z")

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Prelude A typical conversation in conventional Julia package land … A: Have a look at my new package. B: Nice. What’s the license? A: MIT. Easy to use, easy to reuse. B: MIT for what? A: The package. B: All of it? …

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## [RFC: REUSE compliance plugin for PkgTemplates.jl — API, docs, and root LICENSE behavior](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981)

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**Author:** [@gwr](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gwr)\
**Replies:** 43\
**Last updated:** [May 7, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981 "2026-05-07T15:44:50Z")

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I have a preview implementation of a Reuse plugin for PkgTemplates.jl and would appreciate testing and feedback. Current PR: Add REUSE plugin support by gwr-de · Pull Request #528 · JuliaCI/PkgTemplates.jl · GitHub Do…

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## [Catalyst.jl and ModelingToolkit (question after reading about ModelingToolkit license changes)](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/catalyst-jl-and-modelingtoolkit-question-after-reading-about-modelingtoolkit-license-changes/135303)

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**Author:** [@twcawm](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/twcawm)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [January 28, 2026, 4:06am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/catalyst-jl-and-modelingtoolkit-question-after-reading-about-modelingtoolkit-license-changes/135303 "2026-01-28T04:06:51Z")

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Hi, I have been investigating and trying out the Catalyst.jl package (it’s really awesome, by the way!). I saw recently the discussions on ModelingToolkit license changes. Is the plan to keep maintaining Catalyst.jl a…

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## [What happens when a contributor does not own the copyright of the code?](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-happens-when-a-contributor-does-not-own-the-copyright-of-the-code/129208)

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**Author:** [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [May 21, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-happens-when-a-contributor-does-not-own-the-copyright-of-the-code/129208 "2025-05-21T13:39:47Z")

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I recently got a PR with a minor contribution to one of my (MIT-licensed) Julia packages. The author honestly disclosed that it was made using an AI tool. I checked the licensing of said tool (Claude) and it actually sa…

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## [Licensing of code published with papers](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-of-code-published-with-papers/119140)

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**Author:** [@gdkrmr](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gdkrmr)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [September 7, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-of-code-published-with-papers/119140 "2024-09-07T16:07:56Z")

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Open access papers are usually published under a CC-BY license. Does this license also apply to the supporting information? Especially if there is code that has an extra GPL or CC-BY-SA license attached?

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## [Does using GSL.jl mean I have to release my package under GPL?](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/does-using-gsl-jl-mean-i-have-to-release-my-package-under-gpl/112654)

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**Author:** [@Abhro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Abhro)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [April 8, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/does-using-gsl-jl-mean-i-have-to-release-my-package-under-gpl/112654 "2024-04-08T01:26:51Z")

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I’m currently writing a project/package that has using GSL in its source file and GSL = "92c\[...\]" under Project.toml’s \[deps\] section. GSL.jl is the wrapper for the GNU Scientific Library (GSL), which is explicitly part…

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## [Package License](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/package-license/7109)

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**Author:** [@RaulDurand](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/RaulDurand)\
**Replies:** 15\
**Last updated:** [February 18, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/package-license/7109 "2023-02-18T18:03:34Z")

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Julia and (most?) Julia packages are developed under the MIT license, which is a very permissive one. Is there any problem/concern (with Julia philosophy maybe, or any other restriction) to use a different license as GN…

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## [MIT licensed code writing file in GPL licensed format](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/mit-licensed-code-writing-file-in-gpl-licensed-format/82308)

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**Author:** [@Jae-Mo\_Lihm](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Jae-Mo_Lihm)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [June 7, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/mit-licensed-code-writing-file-in-gpl-licensed-format/82308 "2022-06-07T20:14:55Z")

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There is a file format whose specification is written only in a GPL-licensed code. Is it okay for me to look at that code and create a function that writes in the same format in an MIT-licensed package?

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## [Licensing when writing a package from a research paper](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-when-writing-a-package-from-a-research-paper/79080)

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**Author:** [@garrek](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/garrek)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [April 7, 2022, 1:25am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-when-writing-a-package-from-a-research-paper/79080 "2022-04-07T01:25:09Z")

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I am writing a Julia package based on a research paper (implementing an electrodynamics algorithm). At some point I realized that the authors had implemented their algorithm in Python with a GPL 3 license. (Their code is…

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## [List of license for packages in a project](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/list-of-license-for-packages-in-a-project/73028)

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**Author:** [@kaslusimoes](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/kaslusimoes)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [December 13, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/list-of-license-for-packages-in-a-project/73028 "2021-12-13T16:23:59Z")

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Hi, Is there any easy way to collect in a list all the Licenses for packages I use in a Julia project? I was hoping to find similar information in Manifest.toml, but nothing there (I guess that’s not the purpose of tha…

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## [Julia's business model](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julias-business-model/70328)

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**Author:** [@leon](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/leon)\
**Replies:** 102\
**Last updated:** [November 10, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julias-business-model/70328 "2021-11-10T20:11:48Z")

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I recently switched from Matlab to Julia. It is my first time to use an open-source programming language. So far I have been loving it very much. I am very grateful for all the help from this very friendly Julia communit…

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## [Registering packages with a title 17 license](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/registering-packages-with-a-title-17-license/70946)

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**Author:** [@NicholasWMRitchie](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/NicholasWMRitchie)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [November 4, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/registering-packages-with-a-title-17-license/70946 "2021-11-04T14:43:24Z")

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I really appreciate that Julia enforces a liberal Open Source license on packages. However, I’ve run into a problem. As a US Government employee, I’m required by Title 17 United States Code Section 105 to release my w…

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## [Licensing Julia Wrappers](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-julia-wrappers/38973)

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**Author:** [@bdoolittle](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bdoolittle)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [May 8, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/licensing-julia-wrappers/38973 "2020-05-08T20:46:50Z")

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(I apologize if a similar post has been previously made.) BinaryBuilder.jl and the JuliaBinaryWrappers registry make it incredibly easy to expose 3rd party softwares through julia. The autogenerated .\*\_jll packages are …

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## [Julia License FAQ](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-license-faq/8756)

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**Author:** [@lucatrv](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lucatrv)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [February 2, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-license-faq/8756 "2018-02-02T01:23:02Z")

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I think that the Julia documentation should have a “Julia License FAQ” section, on the model of the “Python Software Foundation License FAQ”. In particular I think that it would be beneficial to have the following questi…

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## [GPL and virality](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/gpl-and-virality/7715)

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**Author:** [@StefanKarpinski](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/StefanKarpinski)\
**Replies:** 39\
**Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/gpl-and-virality/7715 "2017-12-20T22:13:06Z")

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It’s often stated that the GPL is “viral” – i.e. that using GPL code “infects” other code. There is a viral effect for code that is not licensed under a GPL-compatible license, but not for code that is licensed under a G…

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## [Code copying and reuse from Base](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/code-copying-and-reuse-from-base/1598)

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**Author:** [@nsmith](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nsmith)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [January 19, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/code-copying-and-reuse-from-base/1598 "2017-01-19T23:02:25Z")

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There is a function in Base called show\_unquoted that I would like to copy and very slightly modify for use in a package I am building. Now, if I was writing a paper this would be blatant plagiarism so whats the deal in …