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Q&A if I write a book about an open source software, should I take permission from the software's creator?

Copyright covers the expression of an idea. The author of the software has copyright on their code. But the result of that code is a subject in the public domain that anyone is free to write about....

posted 8y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-03T20:41:50Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/24586
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:35:03Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/24586
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:35:03Z (almost 5 years ago)
Copyright covers the expression of an idea. The author of the software has copyright on their code. But the result of that code is a subject in the public domain that anyone is free to write about.

On the other hand, you should certainly write to the author of the software and tell them you are writing a book about it and ask for their cooperation. For one thing, this will impress a potential publisher. For another, if you can get an endorsement from the author of the software or maybe get them to write an introduction for the book, that will really help to market the book (which in turn will impress the publisher.)

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2016-09-13T01:30:54Z (about 8 years ago)
Original score: 3