sourcelicenties

Sourcelicenties is a coined term for a proposed framework in which the licenses governing a final work are linked to the licenses of its source components. The model emphasizes provenance, license compatibility, and traceability of origin for content assembled from multiple inputs.

Etymology and usage: derived from 'source' and 'licenties' (license). The term appears in theoretical discussions of open licensing and data governance and has no formal legal status outside those debates.

Operation: each source fragment carries a license tag, and the final work adopts rules for combining licenses. Possible approaches include inheriting the most restrictive license among sources or applying a negotiated composite license that reflects each portion. Documentation of provenance is central.

Applications: software, data, media, and academic works assembled from licensed components. It aims to simplify downstream reuse by clarifying rights, though it also raises questions about license compatibility and enforcement when components have conflicting terms.

Criticism and status: critics warn that the framework adds complexity and may conflict with existing licenses or fail to provide clear rights in practice. It remains a theoretical concept not yet codified in law or widely adopted.