Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing

Community Enforcement of Open Source and Free Software Licenses

The open source and free software communities are also critical to the practical enforcement of open source and free software licenses. While the discussion so far has focused on the legal and practical reasons why open source and free software licenses tend to be complied with, there is a more fundamental reason why most programmers comply with such licenses. Non-compliance, or at least knowing non-compliance with the terms of these licenses, is simply wrong.

The world of open source and free software licensing is still a relatively small one. As has already been described in previous chapters, the code written under these licenses is mostly the work of volunteers who have dedicated huge amounts of time, and, in many cases, significant parts of their lives to the development and distribution of good code for the benefit of as many people as possible. In the course of writing this code and supporting these projects, these programmers have foregone significantly more lucrative opportunities offered by commercial software companies. Behind the black and white terms and restrictions of these licenses, which have taken up the bulk of this book, is a real principle. Free code, however free may be defined, is a social good in itself. This is the goal that is being pursued. However that goal may be reached, whatever avenue of development is followed, this principle is held above all others.

This principle is deeply felt by ...