Comment by puszczyk
13 days ago
> Just be honest since the start
While I agree with the sentiment, keep in mind that circumstances change over the years. What made sense (and what you've believed in) a few years ago may be different now. This is especially true when it comes to business models.
When your product entered mainstream with integration that would yield millions when virtually obliged to get a license is typically what happens.
When backed by a company there is an ethical obligation to keep, at least maintenance. Of course legally they can do what they wish. It isn't unfair to call it bad practice.
There's no way that maintaining something is an ethical obligation, regardless of popularity. There is only legal obligation, for commercial products.
If offering a tie in thing supposedly free of charge without warning that would end once it serves a party less profit purpose then yes.
Ethics are not obligations, they are moral principles. Not having principles doesn't send you to prison that is why it isn't law. It makes you lose moral credit though.
6 replies →
There is no ethical obligation. You just want them to release new work under open source licence.
They already had. And for what purpose you think?
That's your first mistake. Thinking any company truly gives a shit about ethics when it negatively impacts what it is they actually want to do.
> When backed by a company there is an ethical obligation to keep, at least maintenance.
You're saying that a commercial company has an ethical obligation to do work for you in future, for free? That doesn't follow from any workable ethical system.