Open Source allows access to the source code of a software under specific distribution terms approved by the Open Source Initiative. In general each of the licenses currently recognized as open source should contain:

• Free redistribution: free transfer or sale of software
• The source code must be included in the license and directly accessible
• Freedom to modify, make derivative works (from the original licensed work), while licensing these modifications and derivations under the same terms of Open Source
• Distinction of the original version from the modified, upgraded or enhanced one
• No discrimination against persons or groups of persons, application areas, product or use of specific software
• Does not allow confidentiality agreements of the granted open source license or those that are given later
  Technologically neutral

The main licenses are: GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0; MIT License; Apache License 2.0; GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0; BSD License 2.0 (3-clause, new or revised) license; y GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL 2.1).

Globally, these licenses can be perfectly applied in Dominican Republic, since these do not touch the rights recognized by our legislation, only simplify authorization, use and development by others. However, the Apache License may be inapplicable in two important aspects:

Determining that the rights granted through license are perpetual and irrevocable, that is, they continue forever. In this case, the author or owner of the software in our law retains the right to revoke all or part of the license. (This does not necessarily mean that by revoking the license, the author or owner does not have to compensate the affected)

Apart from this, Open Source licenses may be an ideal way to allow collective growth in the software created or used in our country.

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