pinklone

Remix guide

The MIT license lets you use, copy, change, rebrand and even sell software, as long as you keep the original copyright and license notice. Here's how to remix a project the right way.

What MIT asks of you

Include the original copyright notice and the MIT permission notice in all copies or substantial portions of the software. That's the main condition. The software comes “as is”, without warranty.

Checklist

  1. Confirm the license. Open the project's LICENSE file and check it's MIT. Some files or dependencies can carry other licenses.
  2. Fork or copy the repository. Keep the original LICENSE file in place.
  3. Add your own notice, don't replace theirs. You can add your copyright for your changes, alongside the original line.
  4. Rename and rebrand. Change the name, logo and colors. Don't use the original project's name or logo in a way that suggests they endorse you; trademarks aren't covered by the MIT license.
  5. Add your settings. Configure it for your team, and keep secrets out of the repository.
  6. Credit the original. Not required by MIT, but a short “based on …” line in your README or About page is good practice.
  7. Deploy. Host it on hardware or a service you control, and keep it updated from the original project when fixes land.

Example notice for your remix

MIT License

Copyright (c) [year] [original author]      <- keep exactly as in the original
Copyright (c) [year] [your organization]    <- optional, for your changes

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software ... (keep the full original MIT text)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For anything unusual, such as mixed licenses or trademark questions, ask a lawyer.