What Are The Open Source Licensing Trends In 2020?
Developers tend to look at open-source licenses with a sense of dread as they’re often filled with jargon that the legal team can take care of. Having said that, open-source licenses are becoming more common, and knowing what the current trends are can help to keep you a step ahead of the game to utilize these licenses to your advantage.
While developers may view open-source licenses as dull, it’s common for them to become excited when discussing the various database projects that they’ve used. There’s also the issue of how developers become frustrated when they believe an open-source license has been used in the wrong way.
So, let’s take a look at what the top 5 open source licenses trends are in 2020 to ensure that things don’t take you completely by surprise.
Trending Open Source Licenses
Apache 2.0
Apache 2.0 is becoming a more popular open source license that has been on the rise notably since 2017. Their license is used by large open source projects that include Swift, PDF.js, and Kubernetes.
The conditions contained in their license enables you to use licensed work while being able to make changes. This open-source license also allows for larger projects to be shared among a variety of terms without the need for source code.
In addition to this, the license requires you to preserve the copyright and give patent rights with minimal delay.
MIT Open Source License
The MIT open source license is one that has been trending all the way back since 2015 and it’s still being commonly used today. One of the main reasons why people choose to use the MIT open source license is because it’s simple and easy for developers to understand.
This means you can spend more time developing and less time worrying about the licenses. By using an MIT license, you’re provided with the details on the specific things that you cannot do. Therefore, it’s an ideal open source license for developers to use as it lets you know about the do’s and don’t of authorship and warranties.
As a developer, you’re also provided with a good amount of freedom when it comes to how you can use your code. People can use your code however they please, so long as they provide you with credit, without the risk of holding you accountable.
Facebook has switched to an MIT license and some of the other known open source projects include .NET core, Rails, and Angular.js.
Permissive Open Source Licenses
Permissive open source licenses came into the discussion of trends in 2018 and have been in the trending category ever since.
Using a permissive open source license enables people to use elements of an open-source license without too many limitations. As a result, developers are provided with a level of freedom when it comes to the redistribution, modification, and ability to use derivative work without much being required back.
The number of organizations and developers who are using permissive open source licenses has been gradually increasing. This is largely due to how open source projects have come into the mainstream media and received great support from large companies, such as Google and Microsoft.
Permissive licenses allow for more collaboration which benefits all parties involved. Developers tend to prefer licenses that have fewer complications so that they can focus more on the work and less on the licensing aspect.
Permissive open source licenses have been trending due to their simplistic nature and how legal departments can have an easy time navigating the few limitations that are included.
GNU & GPL Open Source Licenses
GNU and GPL open-source licenses have been on the decline since 2018 and it’s looking like that decline is going to continue over the coming years.
GPLvs, GPLv3, and LGPL v2.1 have all been decreasing in popularity. This is because businesses are looking toward many of the other open-source licenses that are available that provide more freedom.
GPL licenses used to be among the most popular options available. This goes to show that the landscape for open-source licenses is constantly changing and improving by the year.
The Future of Open Source Licensing
Knowing the latest open source trends is becoming a must for organizations moving forward in 2020 as they’re more widely used now than ever before. Businesses can take advantage of open source licenses to collaborate and keep themselves legally protected.
There are also changes being made to open source licenses due to how it’s still growing. Therefore, developers and organizations should be flexible for changes to happen. This provides you with the best chance of making the right changes to your business to accommodate the various open-source licenses available.
An open-source area is a place where products can really thrive. As a result, developers and organizations are making it easy for people to access open-source licenses as it’s good for everyone involved.
There are tons of projects based in the cloud with organizations trying out new licenses. So, it’s best to keep your eye out for new open-source licenses that are on the rise over the next couple of years as anyone of them could be the next to blow up.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer or organization or developer who’s looking for the easiest way into using an open-source license, the trends will send you in the direction of MIT licenses. They’re likely to remain at the top of the list of the most popular open-source licenses in 2020 because of their simplicity and ease of use.
Be sure to keep track of the other open-source licenses too as you can never be 100% sure on which one will be the next big hit.
