Open Source Maintenance: Update Your License Year for Professionalism

Open Source Maintenance: Do I Need to Update My License Year?

Maintaining an open-source project across multiple major versions, like from v1.0 to v5.x, raises questions about license copyright dates. The year in licenses like MIT signifies the first publication, not an expiration.

Why This Matters

While the copyright year in open-source licenses like MIT or Apache traditionally marks the year of first publication and is not an expiration date, failing to update it can create a perception of project abandonment. This is particularly relevant as projects evolve through major versions, involving significant code changes that represent new ‘works’. A static copyright year, especially one from several years prior, can deter potential contributors or users who might assume the project is no longer actively maintained. Keeping the copyright year current, or using a range, ensures the project appears professionally managed and legally sound, reflecting its ongoing development and the protection of all contributions made over its lifespan.

Key Insights

• MIT/Apache licenses use the copyright year to denote the ‘year of first publication’, not an expiration date.
• Using a copyright range, such as ‘Copyright (c) 2019-2026’, is the professional standard for actively maintained projects spanning multiple years.
• Semantic Versioning (SemVer) provides a strategy for license updates: highly recommended for major releases, recommended for minor releases, and optional for patch releases.
• Automation tools like the FantasticFiasco/action-update-license-year GitHub Action can automatically update the license year, typically on January 1st each year.
• A static copyright year like ‘Copyright (c) 2019’ can make a project appear abandoned, whereas ‘Copyright (c) 2026’ can erase the history of earlier contributions.

Working Examples

A GitHub Actions workflow configured to automatically update the copyright year in a license file at the start of each year.

name: Update copyright year(s) in license file
on:
  schedule:
  - cron: '0 3 1 1 *' # 03:00 AM on January 1
jobs:
update-license-year:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v6
with:
fetch-depth: 0
- uses: FantasticFiasco/action-update-license-year@v3
with:
token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Practical Applications

• Use Case: Projects with long-term development (e.g., v1.0 to v5.x) should update their license copyright year to reflect ongoing maintenance.
• Pitfall: Leaving an outdated copyright year (e.g., ‘2019’) can lead to the perception of an abandoned project, potentially deterring new contributors.
• Use Case: Employing a copyright range (e.g., ‘2019-2026’) accurately represents the project’s history and current status.
• Pitfall: Overwriting the original copyright year with the current year (e.g., ‘2026’) can inadvertently invalidate the history of earlier work and contributions.

References:

• https://dev.to/rlespinasse/open-source-maintenance-do-i-need-to-update-my-license-year-4o8e