What license do I need for a CSS framework?

[rahulkhosla]

I’ve researched others licensed but they are all mostly different.

My framework will be mostly edited and updated by me only and maybe a small team of friends. I want my css to be available for everyone to use and edit but the users are NOT allowed to edit the top of the CSS file that will say the css framework name and license details.

[CrocoDillon]

I think there are a lot licenses to fit that need, for example MIT.

[chrisburton]

You can license CSS?

[rahulkhosla]

>license CSS?

Scroll down on Twitter Bootstrap

[chrisburton]

I was completely unaware that Microsoft had patented CSS, behind the W3C’s back no less. Regardless, licensing and copyright for CSS seems to be an issue with a lot of debate.

[chrisburton]

I meant that CSS copyright and license rights are highly debated in the legal field.

[chrisburton]

> Does that make any difference, though? Most people are likely to behave as though the license is valid.

What do you mean, “does that make any difference”? If copyrighting or licensing CSS is not even legally binding, and I’m not saying it isn’t, wouldn’t those copyrights or licenses be deceitful?

> how does the uncertainty you allude to influence your answer to the OP’s question?

The OP’s question is related to law. It’s complicated and I don’t think any of us should give advice in particular areas that we are not educated in. There is a higher chance that it would lead to false information.

And with licenses, it’s important to read them because they can even be invalid. Such as, if the OP wrote in a clause about not removing some text, that could be invalid for some licenses as they state you cannot put forth further restrictions.

[chrisburton]

You misunderstood. I stated that law is complicated and difficult to understand. Not individual licenses.

After further research and allegedly coming from the copyright office (US) themselves after asking them multiple times, CSS cannot be copyrighted outside of Trade Dress.

So writing a disclaimer not to remove the developers’ names seems to be invalid. But then some would argue that piece of text is subject to copyright. Sure, the text itself could be but not the CSS inside it.

Anyway, that’s just what I’ve understood from research including lawsuits.

[Senff]

In the world of software, there’s a lot of grey areas. From the objective definitions of “intellectual property” to “fair use”, and the fact that a lot of software developers trust other people enough to say “you are free to use this as long as…..”.

It’s one thing to ask people to not remove the name of the author and trust people to grant that request.
It’s a whole different thing in reality. Plenty of people don’t care and just want to remove stuff they’re not supposed to.
And then it’s another different thing to do something about it when someone violates your license. Lawyers, different countries, etc.

I’d say, just make it standard, ask people not to remove the names of the authors and then let it go. Not everyone will do exactly what you ask, but that’s life.

If your product is going to have thousands and thousands of users, then it may be time to look into the more serious legal side of the story.

[Author]

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