originallicense

Originallicense is a term used to describe the license under which a work was first released by its copyright holder. It is not a separate license itself, but the baseline terms that govern the original content, its redistribution, and its modification. The concept is central to licensing provenance, since subsequent uses often hinge on the rights granted at the time of release and any later changes such as relicensing or dual licensing.

An originallicense can be permissive, copyleft, or proprietary, depending on the author's choice. Permissive examples include licenses that allow broad reuse with few obligations, while copyleft licenses require that derivative works carry the same or compatible terms. Proprietary licenses may restrict copying, modification, or distribution altogether. In practice, many projects later offer relicensing or multiple licenses, allowing users to select terms for different uses, provided the necessary notices remain intact.

When integrating works or creating derivatives, license compatibility matters: code or content covered by the originallicense must be combined in ways that respect both the original terms and any additional licenses. Clear attribution, notices, and license headers help preserve the original license's provenance and ensure compliance across downstream distributions.

Identifying the originallicense is thus a routine part of license management in software, data, and creative works. Repositories commonly include a license file and explicit attribution to the original license so that downstream users can determine their rights and obligations. See also license, open-source license, relicensing, and license compatibility.