ISC License: The Simplest Permissive License

Q: ISC License: The Simplest Permissive License

## ISC License The ISC License is a permissive open source license written by the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC). It is functionally equivalent to the MIT License and BSD-2-Clause License but uses clearer, more concise language. ### Full Text ISC License Copyright (c) [year] [author] Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copi

Learn about the ISC License, a simplified permissive license functionally equivalent to MIT and BSD-2-Clause. Used as the default npm license and by OpenBSD.

Individual Licenses

Detailed Explanation

ISC License

The ISC License is a permissive open source license written by the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC). It is functionally equivalent to the MIT License and BSD-2-Clause License but uses clearer, more concise language.

Full Text

ISC License

Copyright (c) [year] [author]

Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH
REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT,
INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM
LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

Key Characteristics

Attribute	Value
SPDX Identifier	`ISC`
Type	Permissive
Patent Grant	No
Copyleft	No

Why ISC?

The ISC License was designed to be the simplest possible permissive license that still provides the necessary legal protections. It removes the "sublicense" and "sell copies" language from MIT (which are legally redundant given the broader permission grant) and uses everyday language instead of legal jargon where possible.

ISC in the npm Ecosystem

npm (the Node.js package manager) uses ISC as its default license when you run npm init. Many of npm's own packages and core Node.js tooling use the ISC license. If you see "license": "ISC" in a package.json, this is often because the author accepted the default.

Notable Projects

OpenBSD (the operating system)
npm CLI and many npm packages
ISC BIND (DNS server)
Various Internet infrastructure tools

Use Case

Choosing the simplest possible permissive license for a new project, especially in the Node.js/npm ecosystem where ISC is the conventional default.

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