relicensing

Relicensing is the act of changing the licensing terms under which a work is distributed or used. It typically refers to software, but can apply to other copyrighted works such as datasets or media. Relicensing may involve moving from a proprietary license to an open license, from one open license to another, or introducing a dual-licensing model, where the work is offered under two licenses depending on the user's needs.

Relicensing generally requires rights holder approval for the existing work. If the project includes contributions from multiple authors, the ability to relicense depends on the ownership of the contributed code or content and any contributor license agreements. In some cases, relicensing is done via a formal project decision, governance process, and written consent of contributors.

Before relicensing, license compatibility and legal obligations must be assessed. This includes ensuring third-party components can be released under the new license and understanding copyleft terms, patent grants, and warranty disclaimers. Many projects implement dual licensing or require contributors to sign CLAs to enable relicensing later.

Process and implementation: conduct a license audit, determine the target license, obtain required approvals, update license notices and headers, merge license text into distribution, inform users and downstream distributors, and adjust documentation and build systems to reflect the new terms.

Impact and considerations: relicensing can broaden reuse, improve compatibility, or align with funding or governance goals, but it can also restrict some users or create legal risk if approvals are incomplete. In practice, relicensing is a governance and legal process that seeks to transparently balance rights and obligations of all contributors and users.