Is one license file enough if I have subdirectories in my project? [closed]

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I want to publish a project under the GNU general public license, version 3.

I publish it as a zip file, which contains some subdirectories with code and data. I have the GPL license file in the top-directory and refer to it in a README file.

Do I have to, for all subdirectories, add another license file?

Answer 1

Typically there is one COPYING file at the root of the project. You can find some guidelines on how the Free Software Foundation suggests to apply the GNU Licenses (e.g. GPL, LGPL) to your software:

• How to use GNU licenses for your own software

For the Apache Software License - which you have not asked for but just to give a second example - does this a little different due to differences in the license. For it, typically there is one LICENSE and if applicable a NOTICE file at the root of the project. You can find some guidelines on how the Apache Foundation does it here:

• Assembling LICENSE and NOTICE