Understanding the Flexibility of Open Source
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The document discusses open source licensing and how it applies to different situations involving open source and proprietary software integration. It addresses questions around obligations to share code when extending or building upon open source projects. The key points made are that permissive licenses like BSD and Apache allow proprietary software integration without code sharing, while GPL and LGPL have additional requirements to share modifications with customers running the software.
Understanding the Flexibility of Open Source
- 3. • A complete GIS platform that exists on the Desktop, Server, on Mobile devices, and in the cloud • Powered by proven open source components • Commercially supported to ensure quality and ease-of-use • Designed for modern infrastructures 3 The Premiere Open Source GIS Ecosystem
- 8. • Shift from consulting and services, to complete products • Putting emphasis on usability and end user success 8 Shifting From Individual Projects to Products 2002 2006 2014 2016
- 12. BSD license used by OpenLayers Copyright 2005-2016 OpenLayers Contributors. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY OPENLAYERS CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. The views and conclusions contained in the software and documentation are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing official policies, either expressed or implied, of OpenLayers Contributors. 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
- 15. • The answer actually does depend on: •Which component of the boundless platform is extended; and •if that component uses a permissive or protective license • Boundless prefers to start new projects with permissive licenses •permissive licenses place few restrictions on use • Boundless is also happy to work with protective license •Protective licenses have additional clauses (to protect customer freedoms) •Weakly protective: libraries that include source but can be extended •Strongly protective: require that extensions maintain license 15 What do I actually need to do?
- 17. • Permissive licenses focus on long game for success •get open source used everywhere and control the story •if a user forks the extra pain of upgrades will bring them back • Protective licenses focus on a short game for success •state up front that the result needs to remain open source •strongly protective licenses up the ante by being "sticky", anything they touch is required to be open source. • Play smart: •Choose an appropriate license for the technology or market targeted. 17 Aside: Choosing a Open Source License
- 18. • The Open Source Initiative maintains a list of recognized open-source licenses. • Licenses differ in how they balance •the freedoms granted to users of software •how they protect software developers 18 Open Source Licenses
- 20. • BSD •The Berkeley Software Distribution license permits commercial use, such as including the software in your own application or website. •The only restriction is the inclusion of a license and copyright notice in the OpenLayers file you use. •Your own work (that is, the website) remains unaffected. •This ability to be freely mixed with your own work makes BSD an excellent choice for OpenLayers. 20 Berkley Software Distribution
- 21. • Apache •The Apache License is a permissive license similar to the MIT and BSD licenses with some additional benefits. •The Apache License provides additional language around patents with clear pathways for both open and closed code development. •There is no obligation to make a contribution, and licensees are free to take their "Derivative Work" and license it under a different license. 21 Apache License
- 22. • GPL: The GNU General Public License •is arguably the most popular open-source license •Any modifications made to the original application must be provided to those running the application. • This is the license used for GeoServer •It is especially appropriate, in that system administrators want to be sure exactly what is running on their server, while ensuring that any customizations made are available. •The GPL license is also used by Oracle for the distribution of the OpenJDK implementation of Java. 22 GNU Public License
- 25. • Permissive licenses à Proprietary code is fine • Weakly Protective licenses à Proprietary code is fine •If you fix or modify the original library, your customer needs the patch • Strongly Protective licenses à “pass it on” •Required to maintain license, person running the software needs source •Option: Run the code for on your own hardware, it will stay internal •Option: Introduce client / server separation to allow you to run as service 25 How to mix open and proprietary code
- 27. Building on Open Source Projects 27 QGIS GDAL / OGR GEOS PgAdmin QT Designer PostgreSQL / /
- 28. • “My organization would like to create a plugin/extension to GeoServer, but not make any changes to the core GeoServer code base. Am I obligated to share those back to the community?” • No you are not obligated to share changes back to the community. You are required to share the plugin with your customer. 28 Change to GeoServer Application GeoServer
- 30. • “My organization would like to create a GeoServer WPS Process integrate our proprietary billing system for use by our OpenLayers powered web application. Am I obligated to share this website work with our website visitors?” OpenLayers (BSD) is a permissive license placing no obligation to share your work with website visitors. • Bonus: Website code accesses billing system via the open WPS standard. 30 Boundless Suite Integration OpenLayers
- 31. • “My organization would like to create a GeoServer WPS Process integrate our proprietary billing system for use by our OpenLayers powered web application. Am I obligated to share the billing integration process with website visitors or sys admin?” GeoServer (GPL) terms apply to your system administrator running GeoServer (and not the website visitors). • If you package the billing process with GeoServer you will need to provide the source code to the sys admin. 31 Boundless Suite Integration OpenLayers GeoServer
- 32. • “My organization would like to create a GeoServer WPS Process integrate our proprietary billing system for use by our OpenLayers powered web application. Am I obligated to share the billing integration process with website visitors or sys admin?” GeoTools (LGPL) provides a “Process API” under a weakly protective license for integration with proprietary systems. • If you provide the billing process as a separate extension using GeoTools API you do not need to share source code. 32 Boundless Suite Integration (cont.) OpenLayers GeoServer GeoTools
- 36. • Copyright: Tool we use to assert ownership over a codebase and enforce our open source licenses. • Patents: Many open source licenses are quiet about patents opening you and your customers up to risk. Apache, EPL and GPL provide some customer protection. • Trademarks: Used to protect product branding. The QGIS project took out a trademark to have another legal tool at their disposal. LocationTech maintains trademarks on each project. 36 Aside: Copyright, Patents and Trademarks
- 38. • “My company would like to run a training course based on the PostGIS workshop found on the Boundless website. Can I sell the course for a fee?” Yes. The PostGIS workshop is published with a creative commons by attribution share- alike license (CC-BY-SA). • Tell your attendees that the course material is written by Boundless (and if you made changes.) • Share-alike makes this a strongly protective license (so your work is also CC-BY-SA) 38 Workshop Material Workshops
- 40. Product and customer contracts should note use of open source licenses: Boundless End User License Agreement: (a) Boundless Suite (consisting of GeoServer, GeoWebCache, PostGIS, QGIS Plugin, and OpenLayers software) is available in source code form under the terms of various open source licenses (collectively, the “Open Source Licenses") at http://www.boundlessgeo.com/legal. Nothing in this Agreement will be construed to limit any rights granted under the Open Source Licenses and the terms of those Open Source Licenses take precedence over any conflicting terms herein with respect to Boundless Suite. How to respect open source licenses
- 41. Thank you!
Editor's Notes
- #2: Open source is gleefully rewriting the rules of IT development at all levels of industry and government. Adoption of open source in government is well underway, with success stories illustrating the benefits. This decade we are going further - fostering a healthy, sustainable, working relationship between government and open source: This presentation digs into the flexibility of open source licensing and how government organizations can meet the challenges of developing with open source. We will look at the advantages of government participation in open source at the project, institutional, and foundation level. Attend this talk to understand how your organization cannot only benefit from open source, but be open source. ----- 2 intro - welcome, open source expectations (get paid, get paid+time+resources+commitment) 3 open source licenses - spectrum 5 flexibility - combining open source and proprietary 5 participation (project - reduce risk --> planning, institution --> can your staff contribute, foundation level - governance and sustainability)
- #7: http://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/FOSS/2009OSS.pdf https://sourcecode.cio.gov
- #8: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/03/09/leveraging-american-ingenuity-through-reusable-and-open-source-software
- #12: https://github.com/openlayers/ol3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
- #13: https://github.com/openlayers/ol3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
- #14: Literally the first program I have at hand, Keynote, has an example
- #16: Notes: Play smart: Choose an appropriate license for the technology or market targeted. Advocacy: - Permissive licenses focus on the long game for success (get open source used everywhere, control the story - if a customer forks the extra pain of upgrades will bring them back). - Protective licenses state up front that the result needs to remain open source, strongly protective licenses up the ante forcing integrated code to also be open source.
- #27: PostGIS GPL GeoServer GPL OpenLayers BSD Suite App / GeoServer Extensions GPL GeoWebCache LGPL Boundless Web SDK Apache WPS Builder Apache Composer BSD Dashboard BSD GeoTools LGPL JTS Topology Suite BSD/EPL GDAL / OGR X11/MIT PROJ MIT Boundless Workshops CC-BY-SA
- #28: QGIS GPL Connect Plugin GPL PgAdmin PostgreSQL GDAL / OGR X11/MIT QT Designer BSD/MIT
- #37: http://www.qgis.org/en/site/getinvolved/governance/trademark/index.html
- #40: Reference: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/