%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2014 %T The Business of Open Source Software: A Primer %A Michael (Monty) Widenius %A Linus Nyman %K business source %K dual licensing %K entrepreneurship %K open %K open core %K open source business models %K open source licenses %K open source software development %X This article is meant as a primer for those interested in gaining a basic understanding of the business of open source software. Thus, we cover four main areas: i) what motivates businesses to get involved in open source; ii) common open source licenses and how they relate to community and corporate interests; iii) issues regarding the monetization of an open source program; and iv) open source business models currently employed. This article is particularly suitable for people who want a general understanding of the business of open source software; people who want to understand the significant issues regarding an open source program's potential to generate income; and entrepreneurs who want to create a company around open source code. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 4 %P 4-11 %8 01/2014 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/756 %N 1 %1 MySQL Ab Michael (Monty) Widenius is the founder and original developer of MySQL and MariaDB. He has been an entrepreneur since 1979 and is the founder of MySQL Ab, Monty Program Ab, SkySQL, the MariaDB Foundation, and Open Ocean capital. %2 Hanken School of Economics Linus Nyman is a doctoral researcher at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland, where he is researching code forking in open source software. A further research interest of his is free-to-play gaming. He also lectures on corporate strategy, open source software, and the new business models of the Internet age. Linus has a Master’s degree in economics from the Hanken School of Economics. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/756 %0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2013 %T Introducing “Business Source”: The Future of Corporate Open Source Licensing? %A Michael (Monty) Widenius %A Linus Nyman %K business source %K open core %K open source business models %K open source software development %K software licensing %X The benefits of the open source development model have been proven by the test of time; however, making this development model economically feasible can be challenging. In this article, Monty Widenius puts forth a suggestion for a new type of license, which is the result of the lessons learned from decades of work on open source, both as programmer and entrepreneur. The result, “business source”, is a license that seeks to enable a business model that can both harness the benefits of open source while generating sufficient income for the program’s continued development. The business source license automatically changes terms after a given period: an initial non-open source license with specific usage restrictions that transforms to a fully open source license on a specific future date. In this article, we contribute a proposal for a novel license, a set of recommendations for managers, and a sample text of a business source license. This work will be of relevance to four main groups: i) those developing or managing a closed source program but who are interested in the benefits open source offers; ii) those managing open core programs; iii) projects in development; and iv) investors interested in funding open source projects. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %V 3 %P 5-12 %8 06/2013 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/691 %N 6 %1 MySQL Ab Michael (Monty) Widenius is the founder and original developer of MySQL and MariaDB. He has been an entrepreneur since 1979 and founded MySQL Ab, Monty Program Ab, SkySQL, the MariaDB Foundation, and Open Ocean capital. %2 Hanken School of Economics Linus Nyman is a doctoral student at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. The topic of his PhD is code forking in open source software, and he lectures on corporate strategy and open source software. Other areas of interest include freemium and microtransaction business models in gaming. Linus has a Master’s degree in Economics from the Hanken School of Economics. Regarding this article, he would like to note that business source is Monty’s idea; Linus merely got involved to help put the idea into article form. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/691