History of Open-Source Licenses: What License to Choose?

The blog post explores the evolution and purpose of various open-source licenses, highlighting their impact on software development and distribution. It begins with the story of Richard Stallman's creation of the GNU Public License (GPL) as a response to proprietary software limitations, emphasizing the GPL's copyleft principle that requires derivative works to maintain the same licensing terms. The article then contrasts the GPL with more permissive licenses like MIT and BSD, which allow broader usage and modification without copyleft restrictions, making them attractive for developers seeking widespread adoption. The Apache License is noted for adding patent and copyright protections, making it ideal for corporate use. It also discusses the Business Source License (BSL) used by companies to prevent cloud providers from offering hosted versions of their products while ensuring that the license transitions to a more permissive form over time. The choice of license depends on the project's goals, with the GPL favoring open-source purity, MIT and BSD offering flexibility, Apache maximizing adoption, and BSL protecting commercial interests.