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Disclosure: I work at AWS on infrastructure services I am personally currently unaware of any AGPLv3 licensed software in use in an AWS service. That said, I w

by _msw_ 6y ago

Disclosure: I work at AWS on infrastructure services I am personally currently unaware of any AGPLv3 licensed software in use in an AWS service. That said, I would be skeptical of advice to use AGPLv3 due to any particular organization's current policy on the license. Regarding Presto, work on the service includes changes that should go upstream. For the changes that are appropriate for upstream (e.g., ones that are generally useful, not only of benefit or interest to AWS), PRs are sent. For example: https://github.com/prestosql/presto/pulls?q=is%3Apr+author%3Apettyjamesm https://github.com/prestosql/presto/pulls?q=is%3Apr+author%3... Practically speaking, it is difficult to maintain a development branch of any software project with sufficient change velocity if you have a goal of continuing to integrate improvements from the upstream version.

tormeh 6y ago
Redis changed from AGPL to Apache 2 with something they called a Commons Clause, then finally to Redis Source Available License because of cloud providers. Don't really know exactly which event triggered the change, though. I suppose it could have been GCP or Azure instead of AWS. Regardless, AGPL is far less restrictive than people claim it is. It is a particularly strict version of the GPL, but given proper legal review it is unproblematic to use commercially, which cuts both ways as Redis found out. I think there's a serious amount of FUD around it. I suppose it's because of how rare it is. With more usage, it would probably bee seen as less dangerous.
- boogies 6y ago
  I agree that there’s a serious amount of FUD around it. I think it’s at least in part because it proliferating could seriously harm Alphabet’s ability to freely grab people’s code to incorporate in their consumer products (YouTube, G Suite, etc.) without reciprocating, and they’ve been careful to semi-subtly spread the FUD (ie. publish https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/ https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/). https://drewdevault.com/2020/07/27/Anti-AGPL-propaganda.html https://drewdevault.com/2020/07/27/Anti-AGPL-propaganda.html
  - _msw_ 6y ago
    See also https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/jan/06/copyleft-equality/ https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/jan/06/copyleft-equality...
- _msw_ 6y ago
  The core Redis code (originally announced on this site in 2009 [1], before Garantia Data started in 2011, or became Redis Labs in 2014) has always been BSD licensed. Only extensions from Redis Labs (e.g., Redis look) were licensed under AGPL, and changed to Commons Clause / Redis Source Available License. Those extensions were never part of an AWS cloud service. See also [2] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=494649 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=494649 [2] https://redislabs.com/blog/redis-core-team-update/ https://redislabs.com/blog/redis-core-team-update/

by _msw_ 6y ago

tormeh 6y ago

Redis changed from AGPL to Apache 2 with something they called a Commons Clause, then finally to Redis Source Available License because of cloud providers. Don't really know exactly which event triggered the change, though. I suppose it could have been GCP or Azure instead of AWS. Regardless, AGPL is far less restrictive than people claim it is. It is a particularly strict version of the GPL, but given proper legal review it is unproblematic to use commercially, which cuts both ways as Redis found out. I think there's a serious amount of FUD around it. I suppose it's because of how rare it is. With more usage, it would probably bee seen as less dangerous.

boogies 6y ago
I agree that there’s a serious amount of FUD around it. I think it’s at least in part because it proliferating could seriously harm Alphabet’s ability to freely grab people’s code to incorporate in their consumer products (YouTube, G Suite, etc.) without reciprocating, and they’ve been careful to semi-subtly spread the FUD (ie. publish https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/ https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/). https://drewdevault.com/2020/07/27/Anti-AGPL-propaganda.html https://drewdevault.com/2020/07/27/Anti-AGPL-propaganda.html
- _msw_ 6y ago
  See also https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/jan/06/copyleft-equality/ https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/jan/06/copyleft-equality...
_msw_ 6y ago
The core Redis code (originally announced on this site in 2009 [1], before Garantia Data started in 2011, or became Redis Labs in 2014) has always been BSD licensed. Only extensions from Redis Labs (e.g., Redis look) were licensed under AGPL, and changed to Commons Clause / Redis Source Available License. Those extensions were never part of an AWS cloud service. See also [2] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=494649 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=494649 [2] https://redislabs.com/blog/redis-core-team-update/ https://redislabs.com/blog/redis-core-team-update/