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license

Also known as permit, licence, grant license, user license, rights statement, licensing

alt=A 2010 sample of a California driver's license, showing a fictitious young man named "Ricardo A. Sample"|thumb|Governments issue driver's licenses to people who are allowed to drive [[motor vehicles on public roads.]] A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).

AI overview

A license is an official permission or permit issued by a government that allows a person to do, use, or own something, such as drive a motor vehicle on public roads. Licenses matter because they ensure that only people who meet certain requirements or standards are allowed to engage in particular activities, protecting public safety and maintaining order.

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Wikidata facts

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Commons category: Licenses
equivalent class: purl.org/dc/terms/license
ACM Classification Code (2012): 10003470
P13411: Norma Stitz

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~18 min read

Article

18 sections

Contents

Real property licenses
Creation
Termination
Remedies
Mass licensing of software
Patent licensing
Trademark and brand licensing
Artwork and character licensing
Vehicle licensing
How it works in various countries
License classes
International driving permits
Criminal law
Economic theory
Criticism
See also
References
External links

A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreement between those parties. In the case of a license issued by a government, the license is obtained by applying for it. In the case of a private party, it is by a specific agreement, usually in writing (such as a lease or other contract). The simplest definition is "A license is a promise not to sue", because a license usually either permits the licensed party to engage in an illegal activity, and subject to prosecution, without the license (e.g. fishing, driving an automobile, or operating a broadcast radio or television station), or it permits the licensed party to do something that would violate the rights of the licensing party (e.g. make copies of a copyrighted work), which, without the license, the licensed party could be sued, civilly, criminally, or both.