Vitalik Buterin has shared that he supports “copyleft” licensing, which requires anyone who uses shared code to also make their own changes public.
The Ethereum
$2,547.55
co-founder stated in a July 7 blog post that the industry has become less cooperative, and stricter open-source rules could help bring people back to working together.
Buterin explained that he used to prefer “permissive” licenses, which let anyone reuse and modify code freely without having to share what they build. Over time, he came to see the limits of that approach.
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In contrast, “copyleft” licenses allow people to use and modify code as they like, but only if they also release their own modifications under the same terms.
He wrote that while he still dislikes copyright and patents, he sees a need for stronger incentives to keep developers from locking their work away.
According to Buterin, open-source software has gone mainstream, and it is no longer enough to count on people sharing voluntarily. He said it is more realistic to make code access conditional on giving back to the community.
He acknowledged that “copyleft” can feel restrictive in some situations. For example, when someone uses code only internally and never releases it, being forced to publish it anyway might seem unnecessary.
Recently, Buterin and Toni Wahrstätter introduced a proposal known as EIP-7983. What does it cover? Read the full story.
Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.
