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AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

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Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#33
post #2

If you don't like the terms of the license for software you released maybe you should have chosen a different one.

There's surely a space between "perfectly acceptable" and "illegal"? I don't like this idea that you have no right to complain about something if you haven't specifically banned it in a legally enforceable license.

Oh you have the right to complain, just no legal recourse or entitlement to anything.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#34
post #13

Why choose to publish open source if you then complain about people using your code? If he didn't want that, he should've used a non-commercial clause I assume he personally thanked all of the technologies that he's used as well?

Because all the author wanted was credit, and there's no appropriate license for that. The 4 clause BSD license has dropped out of favor for several good reasons and nothing else has taken its place.

You know that licenses are able to be written and rewritten right? If someone wanted attribution, someone could hire a lawyer and make a license (or make an edit/fork of an existing license) that does what someone needs.

Giving attribution (and monetary compensation) to the lawyers who make open source licensing function is also a thing.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#35
post #2

If you don't like the terms of the license for software you released maybe you should have chosen a different one.

OP here. You are 100% right. But it's more about the spirit than the letter here.

My company heavily depends on OS from some great projects: we make money based on other people's hard work too.

Just a short "shout out" would have been nice. We do that with many open source projects, or we sponsor them. And we are a tiny tiny company.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#36
post #13

Why choose to publish open source if you then complain about people using your code? If he didn't want that, he should've used a non-commercial clause I assume he personally thanked all of the technologies that he's used as well?

Because all the author wanted was credit, and there's no appropriate license for that. The 4 clause BSD license has dropped out of favor for several good reasons and nothing else has taken its place.

Author should have just used the Credit Where Credit Is Due license.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#37

> Not necessary as per the APLv2 license The conversation ends there, doesn't it?

Not really. The conversation goes on as long as we like. Part of OSS is about trust and reputation. AWS could have really helped the maintainer with a single sentence and they didn't. It's like not saying thanks to the barista when you get your coffee. Not the end of the world, but it's still a touch rude.

> AWS could have really helped the maintainer with a single sentence and they didn't.

It's not befitting a large enterprise like AWS to tell their prospective customers that they are just wrapping their infra around free software in their marketing copy. If that single sentence even slightly impresses upon .1% of their potential customers that they ought to spin it up on their own infrastructure, obviating their need to pay for the service, that's plenty of disincentive to add the message.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#38
Despite the legalisms that may or not may be relevant, and despite being Amazon or any big company.

I could bet a decent amount that AWS legal department does not even know this was forked from OSS.

This is probably some dev or PM who found out about the project and decided they were in-line for a promotion using someone else's work.

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#39
post #13

Why choose to publish open source if you then complain about people using your code? If he didn't want that, he should've used a non-commercial clause I assume he personally thanked all of the technologies that he's used as well?

Because all the author wanted was credit, and there's no appropriate license for that. The 4 clause BSD license has dropped out of favor for several good reasons and nothing else has taken its place.

I haven’t been keeping up with what licenses are popular, but I’m curious about this because The BSD license was my favorite a few decades ago. Can you please elaborate why it dropped out of favor?

Re: AWS forked my project and launched it as its own service

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because all the author wanted was credit, and there's no appropriate license for that. The 4 clause BSD license has dropped out of favor for several good reasons and nothing else has taken its place.

You know that licenses are able to be written and rewritten right? If someone wanted attribution, someone could hire a lawyer and make a license (or make an edit/fork of an existing license) that does what someone needs. Giving attribution (and monetary compensation) to the lawyers who make open source licensing function is also a thing.

He wrote some code and gave it away freely, and all he wanted was a thank you. You say he should have hired a lawyer to write his own license. This is absurd.
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