Licenses as Contracts
Read in a different light, open source licenses contain promises, just like ordinary contracts. In effect, each licensor promises, subject to certain terms and conditions, not to interfere with licensees who copy, modify, distribute, make, use, and sell open source software embodying the licensor's intellectual property. Licensees rely on those promises when they adopt open source software to do useful things.
Many open source licenses are designed as contracts.
A contract is a promise or set of promises for breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty. (Restatement, Second, Contracts § 3.)
A promise is a manifestation of intent to act or refrain from acting ...
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