[License-discuss] Feedback about fair-code model

[Florian Weimer]

* Josh Berkus:

> On 7/27/20 4:12 AM, Paulo Coghi - Coghi IT wrote:
>> I recently discovered the fair-code model (https://faircode.io/) and I
>> would like to know if it "fits" on any specific OSI approved license.

> This is just a rebranding of the Commons Clause.  It is not
> OSI-compliant, and cannot be made OSI-compliant.

The web page says this:

| 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

It really depends on the nature of those commercial restrictions.

One model that seems to work: provide source code to the general
public, and producitzed sources and binaries to paying customers.  If
a customer shares those productized sources or binaries, you stop
doing business with them, and you make that clear upfront (that's the
commercial restriction).  If the generally available sources are
basically the same as for the product and anyone can build them, there
is little incentive for a paying customer to leak the sources.

Further down, the web site has a very narrow view on fairness and
creativity: “creators have the exclusive right of commercializing
their work”.  You can't have that *and* community contributions.