Under the Share-alike license, which statement best describes derivative works?

Under the Share-alike license, which statement best describes derivative works?

• A. You may distribute derivative works under any license
• B. You may distribute derivative works under a more restrictive license
• C. You may distribute derivative works under a license identical to the original
• D. You may not distribute derivative works

Answer: (C)

The key idea is copyleft: when a license includes a Share-alike clause, any derivative works must carry the same licensing terms (or terms that are compatible) to keep the same freedoms for everyone who uses the work. That’s why the statement describing derivatives as being distributed under a license identical to the original is the best fit. It preserves the original terms for all copies and future derivatives, ensuring permissions like reuse, modification, and redistribution stay consistent. Trying to apply a more restrictive license to a derivative would violate the Share-alike requirement, and using any license that isn’t aligned with the original would also undermine the copied rights. While some Share-alike schemes allow for compatible licenses, the description that matches the intent most directly is that derivatives may be released under the same license as the original.

The key idea is copyleft: when a license includes a Share-alike clause, any derivative works must carry the same licensing terms (or terms that are compatible) to keep the same freedoms for everyone who uses the work. That’s why the statement describing derivatives as being distributed under a license identical to the original is the best fit. It preserves the original terms for all copies and future derivatives, ensuring permissions like reuse, modification, and redistribution stay consistent. Trying to apply a more restrictive license to a derivative would violate the Share-alike requirement, and using any license that isn’t aligned with the original would also undermine the copied rights. While some Share-alike schemes allow for compatible licenses, the description that matches the intent most directly is that derivatives may be released under the same license as the original.