ISC license
The ISC License is a permissive open-source software license developed by the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), which grants recipients permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute the licensed software for any purpose, with or without fee, as long as the original copyright notice and permission notice are included in all copies.[1] It disclaims all warranties, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and limits the licensor's liability for any damages arising from the software's use or performance.[2] Functionally equivalent to the two-clause BSD license but more concise by omitting clauses rendered unnecessary by the Berne Convention, the ISC License is approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and promotes broad reuse of software while requiring minimal attribution.[3]
Originating in the mid-1990s from the Internet Software Consortium (predecessor to the current ISC), the license was initially created to cover key projects like BIND (a widely used DNS software) and has since been applied to other ISC-developed tools, including early versions of ISC DHCP (prior to 4.4.0) and Kea DHCP (prior to 1.0.0).[1] By the early 2000s, it became a standard for ISC's open-source distributions, emphasizing simplicity to reduce legal overhead in software sharing.[1] Although newer ISC projects like BIND 9 (from version 9.11.0 onward) have transitioned to the Mozilla Public License 2.0, the ISC License remains in use for legacy software and continues to influence permissive licensing practices.[1]
The ISC License has gained prominence in various ecosystems due to its brevity and compatibility. It is the preferred license for new code contributions to the OpenBSD operating system, aligning with the project's emphasis on clean, BSD-style permissions without copyleft restrictions.[4] Additionally, it serves as the default license selected by the npm init command in the npm package manager, facilitating quick setup for Node.js projects and contributing to its adoption in millions of JavaScript packages.[5] This widespread use underscores the license's role in enabling collaborative development, commercial applications, and innovation across networking, security, and web technologies, while avoiding the complexities of more restrictive licenses like the GPL.
History
Origins and Development
The Internet Software Consortium (ISC, later renamed Internet Systems Consortium in 2004) was founded in 1994 by Paul Vixie, Rick Adams, and Carl Malamud specifically to serve as an independent entity for the ongoing development and maintenance of BIND, the open-source Berkeley Internet Name Domain software critical for DNS operations.[6][7] ISC's mission centered on sustaining and improving essential internet infrastructure software, including BIND, to support reliable global network functionality without reliance on academic or commercial entities.[7]
In the mid-1990s, ISC formulated the ISC license as a streamlined permissive free software license tailored for its projects, aiming to promote broad adoption of software like BIND by minimizing barriers to use and modification.[1] The primary motivations included simplifying licensing text to lower legal overhead for developers and users, while ensuring compatibility with commercial and non-commercial applications through clear permissions for redistribution and alteration.[8]
This simplification drew from the BSD licenses but eliminated redundant clauses rendered obsolete by the Berne Convention's international copyright protections, resulting in a concise yet equivalent permissive framework.[3] The license's debut aligned with ISC's goal of facilitating seamless integration of its software into diverse ecosystems, emphasizing attribution over restrictive conditions.
The ISC license saw its first prominent application in BIND 9 releases beginning in September 2000, marking a shift toward this tailored permissive model for ISC's core DNS implementations and setting the stage for its wider utility in open-source projects.[6]
Key Revisions
The ISC license experienced a significant textual revision in 2007 under the guidance of Paul Vixie, its principal author and then-president of the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), who modified the permission grant from "Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software" to "Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software."[9] This change introduced the "and/or" conjunction to eliminate ambiguity in the scope of permitted activities, ensuring that users could independently choose to modify, distribute, or both without implying mutual dependency.[9]
The rationale for this revision stemmed from concerns over potential legal misinterpretations, particularly in light of prior controversies with similar permissive licenses like the University of Washington's Pine license, where restrictive interpretations had arisen regarding distribution terms.[9] By clarifying the permission structure, the update explicitly affirmed support for both commercial and non-commercial uses, including distribution with or without fees, thereby enhancing the license's robustness against challenges in diverse legal contexts.[9] Vixie emphasized this intent in discussions on the BIND mailing list, noting the adjustment aimed to preempt debates akin to those surrounding earlier licenses.[10]
In addition to the core wording change, the 2007 revision incorporated minor formatting enhancements, such as refined capitalization, punctuation, and structural alignment, to improve overall readability while preserving the original substantive rights and obligations.[1] These tweaks did not alter the license's permissive nature or introduce new conditions, focusing solely on presentation for broader accessibility.[1]
Following the 2007 update, the ISC license has remained unchanged in its core provisions, with only periodic copyright date adjustments reflecting ongoing ISC stewardship, affirming its long-term stability and reliability as of 2025.[1] This lack of further major revisions underscores the effectiveness of the clarified text in meeting the needs of open-source projects without necessitating additional modifications.[1]
License Provisions
Core Permissions and Conditions
The ISC license is a permissive open-source software license that grants users extensive freedoms in handling the licensed material. At its core, it provides unconditional permission for key activities related to the software, without requiring the sharing of modifications or derivatives under the same terms. This makes it suitable for both open-source and proprietary applications, as it imposes minimal restrictions beyond basic attribution.
The standard text of the ISC license reads as follows:
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.
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.
[1]
The primary permission explicitly allows individuals or entities to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute the software for any purpose, including commercial use, with or without charging a fee.[11] This broad grant enables developers to integrate the software into larger projects, adapt it to specific needs, or redistribute it freely, fostering innovation without legal barriers to proprietary extensions.[1]
A key condition accompanies these permissions: all copies of the software must retain the original copyright notice and the permission notice itself.[11] This ensures proper attribution to the original author while keeping the administrative burden low, as no additional approvals or modifications to the license text are required.[1]
As a permissive license, the ISC imposes no copyleft obligations, meaning derivatives can be licensed under different terms, including proprietary ones, without needing to release source code.[11] The license's scope is limited to the software itself and does not automatically apply to associated documentation or other materials unless explicitly included by the copyright holder.[1] The text also incorporates brief disclaimers regarding warranties and liabilities, which are addressed in greater detail elsewhere.[1]
Disclaimers and Liabilities
The ISC license includes a comprehensive disclaimer of warranties, stating that the software is provided "AS IS" and that the author disclaims all warranties with regard to this software, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.[1] This clause explicitly rejects any guarantees regarding the software's quality, performance, or suitability, ensuring that no express or implied assurances are made by the licensor.
The license further limits liability through a broad exclusion clause, which provides that 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.[11] This provision caps the author's responsibility at zero for any harm, regardless of the legal theory invoked, thereby protecting contributors from financial exposure.
These disclaimers serve the legal purpose of shielding software contributors from potential lawsuits stemming from defects, errors, or misuse of the code, a common mechanism in open-source licensing to mitigate risks in voluntary, unpaid development.[12] By invoking "AS IS" language and liability limitations enforceable under the Uniform Commercial Code and similar statutes, the license aligns with standard practices to prevent claims that might otherwise arise from implied warranties in commercial transactions.[13]
For users and distributors, these provisions imply a "use at own risk" approach, placing the onus on adopters to test, validate, and assume responsibility for any issues encountered in the open-source ecosystem, which fosters innovation while emphasizing personal diligence over reliance on the licensor.[14]
Variants and Comparisons
OpenBSD Variant
The OpenBSD project adopted a variant of the ISC license for its base system in 2003, introducing a standardized template for new code contributions. On June 3, 2003, developer Todd C. Miller added the file /usr/share/misc/license.template to the OpenBSD source tree, modeling it after the ISC license then in use by the Internet Software Consortium; the change was approved by project leader Theo de Raadt.[15]
This variant emphasizes simplicity, aligning with OpenBSD's philosophy of minimalism in licensing to maximize freedom while adhering to international conventions like the Berne Convention, which eliminates the need for certain formalities in copyright notices. The template explicitly states: "Permission to use, copy, modify, and 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." Unlike the ISC license's 2007 revision, which inserted "and/or" before "distribute" to clarify redistribution options, the OpenBSD version retains the straightforward "and distribute" phrasing, avoiding what some in the community viewed as linguistically ambiguous additions influenced by external legal advice.[4][1]
Theo de Raadt endorsed this approach to promote code reusability without unnecessary complexity or perceived excesses in permissive language around fees, ensuring the license remains as unrestrictive as possible while being clear and concise. The variant includes standard disclaimers of warranties and liabilities, providing the software "AS IS" without implied guarantees of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and limiting liability for any damages.[4][16]
As of 2025, OpenBSD continues to use this ISC-like license as the preferred option for new contributions across its base system, ports collection, and associated tools, influencing the broader ecosystem by encouraging consistent permissive licensing in derived projects.[4][17]
Relation to MIT and BSD Licenses
The ISC, MIT, and 2-clause BSD licenses share fundamental structural similarities as permissive open-source licenses. Each grants broad rights to use, copy, modify, and distribute software for any purpose, with or without fee, subject only to the condition of preserving the original copyright notice and permission text in all copies. Unlike copyleft licenses such as the GPL, none impose requirements to share modifications or derivative works under the same terms, enabling flexible integration into proprietary or other open-source projects.[3][18][19]
Compared to the MIT license, the ISC license employs more concise phrasing in its permission grant, stating simply "permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software" without the explicit enumeration of additional rights found in the MIT text, such as merging, publishing, sublicensing, or selling copies. The MIT license also includes an explicit allowance for sublicensing, which the ISC omits, though this is generally not seen as a substantive restriction since the ISC's broad permissions imply similar flexibility. Furthermore, the ISC's warranty disclaimer is briefer, disclaiming "all warranties" in a single sentence, whereas the MIT version more elaborately excludes implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for purpose, and noninfringement.[2][18]
In relation to the BSD licenses, the ISC is essentially a shortened derivative of the 2-clause BSD license, streamlining its structure by combining the separate conditions for source and binary redistributions into a single permission clause and simplifying the liability disclaimer to reduce verbosity while preserving the core obligations. It omits the 2-clause BSD's explicit list of redistribution requirements, such as reproducing the notice in documentation for binaries, but maintains equivalent effect through its all-encompassing notice preservation rule. The ISC removes elements like potential advertising clauses from older BSD variants, aligning it closely with modern simplified BSD forms.[2][19][8]
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) and Free Software Foundation (FSF) both approve the ISC license as conforming to open-source and free-software criteria, classifying it as functionally identical to the MIT and 2-clause BSD licenses in terms of permissions, conditions, and compatibility. This equivalence facilitates easy relicensing or dual-licensing between them in most scenarios, as the differences are primarily linguistic rather than substantive, promoting interoperability across projects.[2][20][3]
Adoption and Usage
Notable Projects and Software
The ISC license has been prominently adopted in several key open-source projects, particularly those originating from or closely associated with the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) and related ecosystems. One of the earliest and most significant implementations is the BIND DNS server, developed by ISC as its flagship software; BIND versions prior to 9.11.0 were released under the ISC license, establishing it as the primary vehicle for the license's initial dissemination and use in global DNS infrastructure. Although ISC transitioned BIND to the Mozilla Public License 2.0 starting with version 9.11.0 in 2017, the ISC license remains embedded in historical distributions and continues to influence compatible derivatives in networking tools.[21]
In operating systems, the OpenBSD project has utilized the ISC license for its base system, including the kernel and core utilities, since 2003, valuing its simplicity and compatibility with BSD-style permissive licensing. This adoption underscores the license's role in fostering code sharing and security-focused development within the BSD family, where OpenBSD maintains a strict policy preferring ISC or equivalent BSD variants for original contributions to minimize legal encumbrances.[4]
Within the JavaScript ecosystem, the ISC license gained widespread traction through npm (Node Package Manager), where it serves as the default license option generated by the npm init command, leading to its inclusion in core npm components and millions of packages. This default choice has facilitated permissive reuse in web development, with the license's brevity enabling rapid prototyping and distribution across the Node.js community without imposing copyleft restrictions.[22]
In the Linux kernel, the ISC license appears in wireless drivers, notably the ath9k driver for Atheros IEEE 802.11n chipsets, released by Atheros Communications in 2008 to promote interoperability with OpenBSD's wireless stack. The choice of ISC for ath9k and related ath5k/ath10k drivers reflects a deliberate effort to enable code sharing between Linux and BSD projects, supporting fully open-source firmware-free operation in enterprise and consumer Wi-Fi hardware.[23]
The LV2 (LADSPA Version 2) audio plugin standard, an extensible open framework for music production plugins, employs the ISC license for its core specification and example implementations, ensuring broad compatibility with hosts like Ardour and Carla.[24] This licensing supports the standard's evolution since its inception, maintaining its RDF-based machine-readable specifications while providing permissive terms for plugin developers.
Other notable adoptions include the pfSense open-source firewall distribution, which historically incorporated ISC-licensed components such as earlier versions of the ISC DHCP server for network configuration services, and pre-transition ISC tools like the original DHCP implementation, which powered dynamic addressing in diverse server environments before ISC's shift to alternative licenses for newer developments.
ISC's Transition to Other Licenses
In 2015, the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) shifted to the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0) for its new Kea DHCP server project, marking the initial move away from the ISC license to provide a more modern and widely recognized framework for open source development.[25] This decision was driven by the desire to encourage broader community contributions through MPL 2.0's file-level copyleft provisions, which require modifications distributed outside an organization to be shared under the same terms, while maintaining overall permissiveness.[25]
Building on this, in 2016, ISC adopted MPL 2.0 for BIND 9.11.0 and all subsequent versions, applying the change to one of its flagship projects to enhance protections for contributors and users.[26] The primary reasons included MPL 2.0's explicit patent grant provisions, which offer stronger safeguards against patent litigation compared to the ISC license, and clearer handling of trademarks and other intellectual property to balance openness with organizational needs, all without introducing restrictive copyleft elements.[26]
Announced in 2017 and completed with the release of version 4.4.0 in 2018, ISC relicensed its legacy ISC DHCP software and later versions under MPL 2.0 to align with the licensing strategy used for Kea and BIND.[27] This update included support for users migrating from earlier ISC-licensed versions, such as updated contributor guidelines and compliance resources, to facilitate a smooth shift while promoting ongoing vendor and community involvement.[27] Older versions of ISC projects, including prior BIND releases, continue to operate under the original ISC license.[26]
Legal and Community Reception
Compatibility and Endorsements
The ISC license exhibits high compatibility with a wide range of other software licenses owing to its permissive structure, which provides unrestricted rights to use, copy, modify, and distribute the software for any purpose, subject only to retaining the original copyright notice. This flexibility enables relicensing of ISC-licensed software under copyleft licenses like the GNU General Public License (GPL), other permissive licenses such as the Apache License 2.0, or even proprietary terms without violating the original grant.[28][2]
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) approves the ISC license as compliant with its Open Source Definition, affirming its status as a valid open source license.[2]
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) endorses the ISC license as a free software license, explicitly stating its compatibility with the GPL and absence of any copyleft conflicts that would hinder integration with free software projects.[28]
In the context of European Union guidance, the Interoperable Europe Portal recognizes the ISC license as a concise permissive option akin to the MIT license but recommends preferring the MIT license to help standardize permissive licensing practices and curb the proliferation of similar licenses.[29]
Criticisms and Recommendations
The GNU Project has highlighted potential ambiguity in the ISC license's phrasing, particularly the use of "and/or" in the permission grant—"Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software"—which could lead to misinterpretation regarding whether all listed activities must be performed together or can be selected independently.[9] This concern stems from the 2007 revision intended to clarify distribution of modified versions, but the GNU Project maintains that the wording does not fully eliminate risks of restrictive interpretations, advising developers to opt for alternatives like the Apache License 2.0 to avoid potential legal uncertainties.[9]
The ISC license has been critiqued for contributing to open source license proliferation, exacerbating the complexity of compliance in multi-license projects.[29]
ISC's transition of key projects, including BIND (effective March 2017) and ISC DHCP (effective January 2018), from the ISC license to the Mozilla Public License 2.0 was motivated by the desire to encourage community contributions through added patent protections and file-level copyleft.[26][27]
As of 2025, the ISC license continues to be valued for its extreme brevity—often just two short paragraphs—making it appealing for quick adoption in simple projects.