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Ask HN: Can a license make large corporations give back?

2•arboles•1h ago
I've no expectations for this post to be well-received because it looks down on open-source for being too "pure". Though unless we evolve beyond no-strings-attached open-source, the ecosystem will remain as broken as it is. Why don't our overworked, underpaid open-source developers license their software with something to the effect of "If you make more than $1,000,000, pay me."? JSON designer ("the" JSON) Douglas Crockford had IBM ask for permission to use JSLint, because Douglas had added the note/clause/term "The Software shall be used for Good, not Evil."[1]

We don't know if GPL works in court. It roughly seems like whatever you write in a license is an effective deterrent though. So your repository could take an existing permissive license like MIT, and add a clause like I mentioned. Set a procedure for your terms for others to use your open-source project commercially. An example of this is the Big Time Public License.[2]

[1] https://wonko.com/post/jsmin-isnt-welcome-on-google-code/

[2] https://bigtimelicense.com/versions/2.0.2#big-business

Comments

bigyabai•1h ago
> We don't know if GPL works in court.

If lacking precedent is your main concern, there are no software licenses that are likely to fill your criterion.

arboles•1h ago
I'm trying to imagine something other than GPL. The fact that the GPL license is respected in the vast majority of cases, without a precedent being necessary is very exciting.

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