ISC License
PermissiveSPDX identifier:
ISCOSI ✓Data updated Sep 26, 2026In plain words
A shorter MIT-equivalent license: any use with the copyright and permission notice kept.
Analogy: The same free book as MIT, with a shorter note on the cover.
Pros
- + Shortest common permissive license
- + Default for many npm packages
Cons
- - No patent grant
- - Closed forks are allowed
Well-known projects using it
5 well-known projects in our map use this license.
Permissions
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Private use
Conditions
- Keep copyright notice
Limitations
- No liability
- No warranty
Extreme scenarios · Code licenses
- A1AllowedA cloud vendor sells your project as a managed service
- A2AllowedSomeone forks it and distributes a closed-source competitor
- A3AllowedEmbedded in a closed-source SaaS backend (not distributed)
- A4AllowedLinked into a closed-source app or firmware and distributed
- A5Not addressedSomeone promotes a modified version with your name or trademark
- A6AllowedSomeone sells unmodified copies
- B1Not addressedA user sues you for patent infringement and keeps using the code
- B2Not addressedA contributor asserts patents on their contributed code
- B3Not addressedA cross-border dispute: governing law and venue
- C1With conditionsYou later relicense or sell commercial licenses (contributors signed no CLA)
- C2AllowedYour code is merged into a GPL-3.0 project
- C3Blocked by licenseYou use a GPL-3.0 dependency and still ship under this license
- C4AllowedThe project is abandoned and someone forks it to continue
- C5Blocked by licenseYou want to block only big companies or competitors
- C6Not addressedKey code was written by an employee and the employer objects
- D1Blocked by licenseSomeone removes copyright or attribution notices
- D2AllowedSomeone modifies files without marking the changes
- D3AllowedInternal modification, no distribution and no external service
- D4AllowedUsed for military, surveillance or other uses you object to
- D5Not addressedUsed by a sanctioned entity
- D6Not addressedYour code is used to train an AI model
Worst-case radar
- 1Stops free-riding0
- 2Stops closed forks0
- 3Patent protection0
- 4Adoption friction0
- 5Hard to relicense50
Computed from the scenario matrix. Higher means more of that property, not "better".
Compare with…
Official text
Only the official text is legally binding. We do not translate license texts.
https://spdx.org/licenses/ISC.html
ISC License
ISC License
Copyright <year> <owner>
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.