Copyleft

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Copyleft is a name for a type of license. This type of license tries to be the opposite of the frequently seen copyright type of license.

(This is a new word. Some people changed 'right' to 'left' in the word 'copyright' to make a new word, 'copyleft', to show that this word has an opposite meaning. The word 'right' here has a meaning closer to rights, not right as in right and left.)

Both copyleft and copyright licenses can be used for things like documents (for example books), art (for example music), and software.

A license tells what someone can do with something that was bought. It also tells what cannot be done with it without getting into legal trouble.

A copyleft license tries to allow more things, and tries to give more 'rights', while a copyright license tells more about things that cannot be done.

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