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Google defaults to Apache. The whole process is documented here (https://opensource.google.com/docs/releasing/approval/ https://opensource.google.com/docs/rele
by bsimpson 9y ago
Google defaults to Apache.
The whole process is documented here (https://opensource.google.com/docs/releasing/approval/ https://opensource.google.com/docs/releasing/approval/) but here's the tl;dr:
1. Googler tells their director that they want to open source some code; the director approves it.
2. Googler tells the Open Source + Patents Office that they're releasing code. The OSPO says to use Apache as the license unless you have a good reason not to, and does a sanity check to ensure that the license information is in all the right places in the repo.
3. Googler posts the repo to GitHub.
Googlers don't usually even think about licenses. The OSPO says to use Apache, so that's what we use.
- notacoward 9y agoDo you suppose that neither the director nor the OSPO is checking which patents relate to the code under consideration, and that neither might reject the request on the basis that it would compromise valuable IP? It would actually be irresponsible for them not to. Given the value of that IP to the company, they have a duty to ensure that it's protected. The fact (if fact it is) that individual engineers don't worry about it means approximately nothing except that they're sheltered little pups.