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If anyone is interested in using a source-available license for their own code, the Polyform Project has a set of standardized, source-available licenses. https

If anyone is interested in using a source-available license for their own code, the Polyform Project has a set of standardized, source-available licenses. https://polyformproject.org/ https://polyformproject.org/ PolyForm Shield would probably achieve the same result as the Timescale License. https://polyformproject.org/licenses/shield/1.0.0/ https://polyformproject.org/licenses/shield/1.0.0/

asim 6y ago
I am using this quite successfully in Micro (https://github.com/micro/micro https://github.com/micro/micro). Having spoken to one of the authors Heather Meeker, who wrote the majority of the custom licenses, I'm fairly confident it's going to become an industry standard. There is no point wasting time drafting custom licenses. Drop in Polyform Shield to defend against AWS and others in one simple move as you would have used MIT or Apache 2.0 licenses in the past.
henryfjordan 6y ago
The PolyForm Shield license prohibits competition with the original project, but then goes on to define "competition" > Goods and services compete even when provided free of charge If you host your project on Github under this license and I fork it, then my Github page is competing with yours and I am therefore in violation.
- orlandohill 6y ago
  Please read the license terms carefully. Distribution of the source code, modified or unmodified, would not be considered competition. On the contrary, it is an explicitly granted right. So, for example, forking on GitHub is allowed. Distribution License The licensor grants you an additional copyright license to distribute copies of the software. Your license to distribute covers distributing the software with changes and new works permitted by Changes and New Works License.
  - henryfjordan 6y ago
    I did read it carefully, and provided thoughtful feedback. > Any purpose is a permitted purpose, except for providing any product that competes with the software or any product the licensor or any of its affiliates provides using the software. > Goods and services compete even when provided free of charge. If you market a product as a practical substitute for the software or another product, it definitely competes. If I use your software and find a bug, I am prohibited from hosting a fork with a fix for the bug on Github as it would clearly be a practical substitute for the original.
CodesInChaos 6y ago
I would not use any PolyForm Shield licensed software, since there is no guarantee that the provider will never expand their scope of business to compete with me. The Perimeter variant might be usable, but only if competing with versions of the product I don't use is allowed (it's not clear to me if that's the case)
- orlandohill 6y ago
  Please read the license terms carefully. New Products If you are using the software to provide a product that does not compete, but the licensor or any of its affiliates brings your product into competition by providing a new version of the software or another product using the software, you may continue using versions of the software available under these terms beforehand to provide your competing product, but not any later versions. Discontinued Products You may begin using the software to compete with a product or service that the licensor or any of its affiliates has stopped providing, unless the licensor includes a plain-text line beginning with Licensor Line of Business: with the software that mentions that line of business. For example: Licensor Line of Business: YoyodyneCMS Content Management System (http://example.com/cms http://example.com/cms)
  - henryfjordan 6y ago
    If I use the software, then the creator expands their business to compete with me, I can never update the software again. Maybe this is software meant to work over the network and a security vulnerability is discovered. The license says I am stuck running a version with vulnerabilities until I can figure out how to use a different project. That's a deal-breaker.

asim 6y ago

I am using this quite successfully in Micro (https://github.com/micro/micro https://github.com/micro/micro). Having spoken to one of the authors Heather Meeker, who wrote the majority of the custom licenses, I'm fairly confident it's going to become an industry standard. There is no point wasting time drafting custom licenses. Drop in Polyform Shield to defend against AWS and others in one simple move as you would have used MIT or Apache 2.0 licenses in the past.

henryfjordan 6y ago

The PolyForm Shield license prohibits competition with the original project, but then goes on to define "competition" > Goods and services compete even when provided free of charge If you host your project on Github under this license and I fork it, then my Github page is competing with yours and I am therefore in violation.

orlandohill 6y ago
Please read the license terms carefully. Distribution of the source code, modified or unmodified, would not be considered competition. On the contrary, it is an explicitly granted right. So, for example, forking on GitHub is allowed. Distribution License The licensor grants you an additional copyright license to distribute copies of the software. Your license to distribute covers distributing the software with changes and new works permitted by Changes and New Works License.
- henryfjordan 6y ago
  I did read it carefully, and provided thoughtful feedback. > Any purpose is a permitted purpose, except for providing any product that competes with the software or any product the licensor or any of its affiliates provides using the software. > Goods and services compete even when provided free of charge. If you market a product as a practical substitute for the software or another product, it definitely competes. If I use your software and find a bug, I am prohibited from hosting a fork with a fix for the bug on Github as it would clearly be a practical substitute for the original.

CodesInChaos 6y ago

I would not use any PolyForm Shield licensed software, since there is no guarantee that the provider will never expand their scope of business to compete with me. The Perimeter variant might be usable, but only if competing with versions of the product I don't use is allowed (it's not clear to me if that's the case)

orlandohill 6y ago
Please read the license terms carefully. New Products If you are using the software to provide a product that does not compete, but the licensor or any of its affiliates brings your product into competition by providing a new version of the software or another product using the software, you may continue using versions of the software available under these terms beforehand to provide your competing product, but not any later versions. Discontinued Products You may begin using the software to compete with a product or service that the licensor or any of its affiliates has stopped providing, unless the licensor includes a plain-text line beginning with Licensor Line of Business: with the software that mentions that line of business. For example: Licensor Line of Business: YoyodyneCMS Content Management System (http://example.com/cms http://example.com/cms)
- henryfjordan 6y ago
  If I use the software, then the creator expands their business to compete with me, I can never update the software again. Maybe this is software meant to work over the network and a security vulnerability is discovered. The license says I am stuck running a version with vulnerabilities until I can figure out how to use a different project. That's a deal-breaker.