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Ask HN: Why would you release your source code under a license like MIT of BSD?
If I'm releasing something to the public I almost always pick a viral license from the GPL line. Mostly that's the AGPL but sometimes it's the LGPL.
Why would you want to release your source code under a non-viral open source license like MIT or BSD?
- em10fan 7y agoIf you want people to use it. Companies are not that keen on GPL in any form.
- traverseda 7y agoI guess my question is why would you want companies to be able to use it for free? Why not release under a viral license with a commercial license also available? Why is a large company using your MIT licensed code a good thing? Do you expect to eventually get paid for that work, or get recognition, or what?
- em10fan 7y ago> I guess my question is why would you want companies to be able to use it for free? Why not release under a viral license with a commercial license also available? The amount of hassle it takes in most companies to licence software from a third party vendor is so immense that generally they will spend far more in $$$s to write it themselves instead. Your average small hobby project or helper library isn't going to every make you any money that way, only something which is both very large/complex, and very desirable, would. > Why is a large company using your MIT licensed code a good thing? Do you expect to eventually get paid for that work, or get recognition, or what? It looks good on your CV and might get you a job there.
- JohnFen 7y ago> The amount of hassle it takes in most companies to licence software from a third party vendor is so immense Yes, for very large corporations. But smaller companies don't have such a large problem with this (and most companies are on the smaller side).
- JohnFen 7y agoI think it depends on who your "target market" is. Non-viral licenses make sense if you want companies to use it. I've never released my work under MIT or BSD. I release about half of my work into the public domain, about a quarter of it under a GPL variant, and a quarter of it remains under a more conventional commercial license.
- zzo38computer 7y agoFor me, the reason is simplicity, although I prefer public domain.