The topics of Free Software/Open Source licensing and governance can be complex and confusing. This presentation provides for an easy and clear description of the hows and whys of both. Presented at the All Things Open 2016 Conference in Raleigh, NC

1. UNDERSTANDING
OPEN SOURCE LICENSES AND
GOVERNANCE
Jim Jagielski
@jimjag
AKA: How I learned to stop worrying and love FOSS

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ABOUT ME
• Apache Software Foundation
• Co-founder, Director, Member and Developer
• Director
• Outercurve, MARSEC-XL, OSSI, OSI (ex)…
• Developer
• Mega FOSS projects
• IANAL
• Sr. Director: Tech Fellows: Capital One

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WHAT’S IN YOUR PROJECT?

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GOVERNANCE/COMMUNITY

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WALLED GARDEN

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BDFL

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MERITOCRACY

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LICENSES

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WHY?
• Copyright is the default
• Open Source is everywhere
• The license determines use, re-use and distribution
• Not understanding means risk

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LICENSE GOALS
• Ensure what parts remain open source
• Maintain control over code and direction
• Provide common implementation for standards
• Build community or commercial marketplace
• For most end-users, this is the sole touch-point

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FREE SOFTWARE
• “Free” as in “free speech” (not as in “free beer”, although free beer is
good!)
• Software freedom is a moral imperative.
• Free Software Definition:
• 4 basic freedoms must be maintained
• Free Software ~== Open Source
• F(L)OSS

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OPEN SOURCE
• For software to be Open Source, it must be under an OSI approved
Open Source License
• Open Source Definition: http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd
• 10 criteria
• At last count, over 60 exist
• New Open Source licenses are very hard to get approved
• There are really 3 main types

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PROMISES

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LET’S PRETEND
==

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USE

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MODIFY

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SHARE

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GIVE ME CREDIT
Permissive:
ALv2
MIT
BSD

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GIVE ME FIXES
Weak Copyleft:
EPL
LGPL

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GIVE ME EVERYTHING
Strong Copyleft
GPLv2
GPLv3
AGPL GPL
GPL
GPL
GPL
GPL GPL
GPL GPL
GPL
GPL
GPLGPL
GPL
GPL
GPL

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TAKE AWAYS
• A license is a tool. There is no “always right” license
• Take time to decide on the right license type
• Changing licenses can be very difficult
• Avoid “vanity” licenses
• ALWAYS specify a license!

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THANKS!
• Jim Jagielski
• @jimjag
• http://www.jimjag.com/
• http://slideshare.net/jimjag/
• jimjag@gmail.com

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COMMUNITY BUILDING

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USE EMAIL LISTS

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DRIVE CONSENSUS
+1

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NO POISONOUS PEOPLE

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PLAY NICE, SHARE, HAVE FUN