Succeeding with Open Source

Licensing Risk

As described earlier in this book, one of the primary ways open source software differs from its commercial counterpart is the licensing mechanism that governs product use and distribution. IT organizations are very experienced in working with commercial software licenses, but are wary of open source licenses. They want to understand what risks they might be exposed to by using open source software. This concern is heightened by the fact that there is a lot of misinformation and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) floating around the industry about open source licenses. Phrases like “viral licenses” and “redistribution rights” are common in open source discussions. What risk is presented by open source software licenses?

Is risk ...