Ask HN: What licenses avoid AWS-like predators while preserving OSS spirit?

  • Posted 2 weeks ago by develatio
  • 4 points
I'm currently working on a project (SaaS) that I intend to release on GitHub. I want the code to be freely available for anybody to read and contribute. I also want companies to be able to freely (both "as in beer" and "as in speech") use it ("use" as in "fulfil their own needs") without having any legal doubts / problems (a-la GPL / AGPL viral licenses). Last, but not least important, I want to avoid AWS-like predators from taking the project, shoving the "Elastic" prefix, hosting it and profiting from my work (making it extremely difficult for me to be able to compete and economically benefit from my own work).

I have been reading the terms and conditions of several licenses, including the Commons Clause, AGPL, BUSL, etc... and they seem to be designed for that purpose (with more or less restrictions), but judging by the reactions of people commenting (here and other places on the internet) about these licenses, I fear that using any of these will automatically attract hate and disdain to my project, dooming it from day 1.

Is there a license that I can use to achieve all this? Or is this the typical situation in which I must pick 2 out of 3?

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