Free software license
![The free software licensing spectrum and some examples of programs under those licenses according to David A. Wheeler.[2]](/Images/godic/202501/20/Software_licensing_spectrum4902.png")
![License compatibility between common FOSS software licenses according to David A. Wheeler (2007): the vector arrows denote an one directional compatibility, therefore better compatibility on the left side (](/Images/godic/202501/20/Floss-license-slide-image4902.png")
A free software license is a notice that grants the recipient of a piece of software extensive rights to modify and redistribute that software. These actions are usually prohibited by copyright law, but the rights-holder (usually the author) of a piece of software can remove these restrictions by accompanying the software with a software license which grants the recipient these rights. Software using such a licence is free software (or free and open source software) as conferred by the copyright holder. Free software licenses are applied to software in source code as also binary object code form, as the copyright law recognizes both forms.