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This is a naive view. Most companies try to limit or restrict the scope of what they must open source. With the GPL, depending on the version, how the code inte
by xyzzy_plugh 6y ago
This is a naive view. Most companies try to limit or restrict the scope of what they must open source. With the GPL, depending on the version, how the code interacts with your project (static linking, dynamic linking, IPC, etc.) you may or may not have to release your code under the same license.
In particular Google's strong anti-AGPL stance has caused a chilling effect for adoption of AGPL projects at companies, hence why commercial licensing is frequently an option.
Finally, you can believe whatever you want, but ultimately it's the lawyers who decide, and your ass (assuming you're an IC) isn't the one on the line when shit hits the fan. Lawyers don't like GPLv3 and they don't like AGPL.
- Google234 6y agoThe AGPL means that all code that links to it must also be published as AGPL. You don’t have to be Google to recognize how contagious thst could be.
- enriquto 6y ago> Lawyers don't like GPLv3 and they don't like AGPL. Whose lawyers? Why would the lawyers at your company object that your choice of license for the free software that you publish is the AGPL or the GPL?
- nemothekid 6y agoThis is a post about running an open source company. In other words, you have to worry about your prospective customer's lawyers objecting to your product just because it is in part AGPL. You could just upsell with a different license; but from a business model perspective that makes the distribution channel of open source irrelevant.
- enriquto 6y agoWhat you are describing sounds more like a problem with sales, or marketing, than with legal. I don't think your legal department would prefer you to use BSD instead of AGPL.
- nemothekid 6y ago>I don't think your legal department would prefer you to use BSD instead of AGPL. Google's legal department is the problem: https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/ https://opensource.google/docs/using/agpl-policy/ There's likely nothing your sales or marketing team can when Google, and companies that cargo cult Google's legal, decide not to allow your product gain a foot in the door because of its license.
- iudqnolq 6y agoThe last sentence of that policy is the whole point of a FOSS company using AGPL > In some cases, we may have alternative licenses available for AGPL licensed code. Large companies pay, others don't need to.