| The source code for SQLite is in the public domain. No claim of | |
| copyright is made on any part of the core source code. (The | |
| documentation and test code is a different matter - some sections of | |
| documentation and test logic are governed by open-source licenses.) | |
| All contributors to the SQLite core software have signed affidavits | |
| specifically disavowing any copyright interest in the code. This means | |
| that anybody is able to legally do anything they want with the SQLite | |
| source code. | |
| There are other SQL database engines with liberal licenses that allow | |
| the code to be broadly and freely used. But those other engines are | |
| still governed by copyright law. SQLite is different in that copyright | |
| law simply does not apply. | |
| The source code files for other SQL database engines typically begin | |
| with a comment describing your legal rights to view and copy that | |
| file. The SQLite source code contains no license since it is not | |
| governed by copyright. Instead of a license, the SQLite source code | |
| offers a blessing: | |
| May you do good and not evil | |
| May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others | |
| May you share freely, never taking more than you give. |