Fair-code is not a software license. It describes a software model where software:

  • is generally free to use and can be distributed by anybody
  • has its source code openly available
  • can be extended by anybody in public and private communities
  • is commercially restricted by its authors
  •  jmcs   ( @jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de ) 
    28•5 months ago

    So a single entity is allowed to commercialize external contributions without any kind of reciprocity. Somehow it sounds worse to me than Shared Source.

    If you are worried about leeches just use AGPL and call it a day.

      •  jmcs   ( @jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de ) 
        17•5 months ago

        One way of making software more fair is by allowing developers to profit. Many companies today invest resources into taking an existing project and copying the ongoing work of the project creators; afterwards, creating and maintaining a hosted version using their code. In a fair circumstance, should they benefit from using the software, they could add certain features, fix bugs and support the community of users enjoying the product. In many cases they do, but fair-code ensures that this can happen by bringing businesses to the negotiation table when it comes to commercializing software.

        This is bullshit when only a set of developers are allowed to profit. Every single project with a non-commercial license I know has an exception for the company that owns the repo. At that point external contributions are not open or fair anything, it’s a company stealing labour.

        Either licenses are symmetrical or they are inherently unfair, and calling it Fair is doublespeak.

      •  lemmyvore   ( @lemmyvore@feddit.nl ) English
        6•5 months ago

        They’re getting it from the facts. 😄

        The question is, where are you getting the “fair” moniker from? Who is it fair for? What makes it so much more fair than the other “models” that it’s the only one that deserves to be called that?

    •  Ephera   ( @Ephera@lemmy.ml ) 
      3•5 months ago

      Yeah, this model doesn’t work as a long-term solution in my eyes, because as a potential open-source contributor, I do not see myself ever contributing to such a project.

      I mean, I am avoiding anything which requires a CLA, in particular if I’d need to hand copyright over to a for-profit organization, but in those cases, because I don’t yet know, if I’ll get fucked over. With this “FairCode” thingamabob, I would feel fucked-over right away.

      And that ultimately breaks with why open-source is popular. Because everyone can scratch their itch and improve it for everyone else. If it’s just a for-profit organization dumping their source code, that’s going to fall off in quality quickly.