Choosing an Open Source Software License in Commercial Context: A Managerial Perspective

Abstract

Increasing number of companies conduct their business employing various Open source software (OSS) licenses. The choice of correct license determines the business potential of a given software. When the available OSS stack and licensing options grow, so does the need for research concerning the interplay between OSS licensing, sourcing decisions and business goals. We aim to fill this research gap by building a model of license choice that emphasizes how software companies perceive the different licenses and rationalize their choice of OSS license. Results indicate how companies perceived the open source licenses as interconnected, complicated and turgid, and that only large companies had systematic processes for choosing licenses.