Most apps violate licences

Nearly three-quarters of Android, iPhone and iPad apps using open source software fail to comply with the most basic licence requirements, according to The Inquirer.

Enterprise open source firm OpenLogic found that 66 out of 635 mobile apps it scanned contained Apache or GPL/LGPL licensed code. Of those, 71% failed to comply with the key obligations of the licences.

Information Week says an increasing number of apps found in smartphone app repositories are based on open source. For that matter, the number one platform, Android, is itself open source. Even though open source licensing requirements are minimal, a lot of apps violate the terms of the licence.

The end-user has nothing to worry about in these cases. There are no end-user licensing agreements so there is nothing to violate. For the programmer though, there can be consequences. The OpenLogic survey points out that Google has received takedown notices on apps that violate the GPL. In extreme cases legal action can be taken, though that is rare.

Linux Planet reports that OpenLogic has a scanning tool called OSS Deep Discovery, which helps to identify when open source code is being used.

"The lack of compliance was not all that surprising to us," says senior VP of products and marketing at OpenLogic, Kim Weins. "Developers and companies often don't have a complete picture of their open source usage or how to comply with the licences."