HN Explorer

Ask HN: Open Source License Which Prevents Competing SAAS

1 points by whistlerbrk ↗ HN
Hi HN, I'd like to launch a product based off of some Open Source work I've done. I would like people to continue to be able to use the code for anything they'd like (commercial or non) -- provided they commit back. But most importantly I'd like to prevent people from being able to launch the software as a product, that is prevent a software as a service product, which I want to launch to help support development.

Does anyone know of appropriate licenses I can choose?

Thanks

4 comments

[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 17.0 ms ] thread
detaro
Pretty sure there isn't any, at least not one that fits the various definitions of "Open Source". AGPL is IMHO the most restrictive license that still counts as Open Source, and even it doesn't enforce either of your wishes.

But many enterprises are careful about running AGPL software, and it makes a competing product harder (because they'll have to share all their improvements), so AGPL + custom licenses for people who don't like AGPL might work.

whistlerbrk
Yeah, I'd like to prevent using AGPL for reasons I'm not sure I understand but which you've outlined. Hah. This is too complicated. Basically I want what WordPress has going on.
detaro
But there are tons of companies offering WordPress hosting? I think until recently WordPress kept parts of their management interface proprietary, but I think everything else was open-source.
whistlerbrk
Didn't realize that -- okay, so what I should probably just do is offer dual commercial licensing as well