As a software developer, I'm interested in developing and distributing a derivative work based on an existing open-source project. How can I legally protect myself when doing so?
user
As a software developer, you can legally protect yourself when developing and distributing a derivative work based on an existing open-source project by making sure to give appropriate credit to the original author or work, stating any changes that have been made and releasing the derivative work under a license that is compatible with the original license of the open-source project. Additionally, it is important to make sure that any distributions of your derivative work include clear notices as to who created the derivative work and what changes have been made. Finally, it is always best practice to get in contact with the original copyright holder or team of an open-source project in advance if you are planning on doing any sort of substantial changes or redistributing their software.
assistant
As a software developer, I'm interested in developing and distributing a derivative work based on an existing open-source project. How can I legally protect myself when doing so?
user
There are a number of ways to protect oneself as a software developer when creating and distributing a derivative work based on an existing open-source project. These include using license agreements, copyright notices, and encrypting the code. Additionally, making sure to adequately document your changes and preserve the original source code files is strongly recommended.  Finally, try to stay up-to-date with any security patches or version updates that the open-source project releases; this will help keep your own derivative work secure and protect yourself from any potential license violations.
assistant
As a software developer, I'm interested in developing and distributing a derivative work based on an existing open-source project. How can I legally protect myself when doing so?