License, Content, and Copyright

JAMStart is a Pennock Projects starter template for setting up a static content web-sites. In using JAMStart for setting up one of my new content sites, I realized my typical approach to the copyright and licensing needed updating. In this article, I will discuss my updated approach to licensing and copyright for code projects and for content web sites with and without code snippets.

Not legal advice

I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, and it is always best to consult with a legal professional for specific questions about licensing and copyright. I will share my general approach to licensing and copyright, as an example, and not as a substitute for professional advice.

Public Licenses

Not having the resources to create custom licenses, I rely on well-known public licenses for both code and content. These licenses are widely recognized and provide clear terms for how others can use, modify, and distribute the work.

1. MIT License
2. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Code Projects

In my public code projects I have used the MIT License, a common choice for open source software projects, which allows others to use, modify, and distribute the code with minimal restrictions, while providing a clear disclaimer of warranty.

Content Sites

For a content web site, I want to ensure that that author receives credit for the articles and thoughts they publish. Others should not copy the articles and blogs without giving proper attribution or implying that those ideas are their own. This is why the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) is more appropriate for content sites. It allows others to share and adapt the content as long as they give appropriate credit.

Content Sites with Code

Some content sites (like Pennock Projects) have content that also includes code, algorithms, and snippets. For these, I use a hybrid approach, the code snippets, programming algorithms, or service procedures are licensed under the MIT License, and the rest of the content is under the Creative Commons license. This allows the code to be freely used and modified by others, while ensuring that the written content is properly attributed and licensed under the appropriate terms.

How I license my works

In summary, here's how I generally approach copyright and licensing

Copyright Notices

Code Projects

As is common practice I include the appropriate license in the LICENSE.txt file in the root of the code project repository.

In addition, for single file or module I include a copyright notice in the header of each code file, which includes the year and my name. This makes it clear to users that the code is licensed under the MIT License and provides a clear attribution for the original author. For example, a typical code file might include the following header:

  Copyright © 2026 John Pennock
  Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.txt for details.

or if a single file or module, without LICENSE.txt reference, a link to the MIT License:

  Copyright © 2026 John Pennock
  Licensed under the MIT License.
  See https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT for details.

Web Site Notices

Footer

Usually, for web sites, I will include a short copyright notice in the footer of each page, which includes the year and my name, with a link to a details license page.For example, a typical footer might include the following notice:

<footer>
    <p>© 2026 John P. Pennock. See <a href="/license">License</a></p>
</footer>

License Page

The license page will provide more details about the specific copyright and license used for the content and code on the site, including links to the full text of the licenses. This allows users to easily understand the terms of use for the content and code on the site.

For content sites, the license page will explain the Creative Commons license in more detail.

For hybrid sites, the license page will explain both the MIT License for the code and the Creative Commons license for the content.

For example, a typical license page for a hybrid site might include the following information:

<h1>Copyright & Licensing Notice</h1>

© 2026 John P. Pennock. All rights reserved unless otherwise noted.

All written content, including blog articles and original media on 
this website, is licensed under the Creative Commons 
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All source code, code snippets, service procedures, configuration 
examples, and downloadable code files are licensed under the 
[MIT License](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).

---

<h2>Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (for Content)<h2>

This means you are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.

ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license.

Full license text:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

----

<h2>MIT License (for Code)</h2>

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

JAMStart Madness

For the JAMStart project itself, which is a code project that is used to generate content web sites, I use every license type discussed.

This allows the JAMStart code project to be freely used and modified by others, while ensuring that any content generated using the JAMStart template is properly attributed and licensed under the appropriate terms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when it comes to licensing and copyright for code and content projects, I rely on well-known public licenses like the MIT License for code and the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License for content. For hybrid sites that include both code and content, I use a combination of these licenses to ensure that both the code and the content are properly licensed and attributed. By including clear copyright notices in the code files and on the website, I can ensure that users understand the terms of use for the content and code, while also providing proper attribution to the original author, while encouraging sharing and collaboration within the community.