Open-source licensing requires compliance which puts restrictions on commercial distribution. Vendors are required to find their way through license agreements that determine code usage and redistribution. Neglecting those needs may lead to repercussions under the law and limitations to the proprietary control and financial models. Long-term strategic flexibility is needed to create a variety of advantages in the field of open source against the background of commercial goals.
Such restrictive licenses as GPL require that derivative works are open-sourced. Such a restriction (this so-called copyleft) inhibits the addition of this code to entirely closed-source products. Sellers should not use GPL code or use other methods such as selling through services instead of adopting license provisions to sell products.
MIT and Apache are permissive licenses that are very wide-ranging. This code is incorporated, adapted and licensed by vendors in proprietary products without the obligation to disclose the source. This allows most traditional licensing and sales models to continue almost as is, so it becomes possible to develop more quickly and cheaper using open-source components.
Open-source monetization Dual-licensing is done through dual-licensing. The core is licensed in a restricted way (e.g. GPL), requiring compliance to being open-source. An independent commercial license is sold, under which proprietary distribution is exempted of copyleft. This creates an income stream to the companies that require closed distribution along with sustaining in the community.
Cloud delivery (SaaS/PaaS) avoids controls of distribution of restrictive licenses. Users do not get a copy, and access a software remotely, and can evade the copyleft triggers (AGPL is a major exception). The vendors commercialize the service and not the software artifact and thus it safeguards proprietary enhancements constructed of open-source foundations.
Conclusion:
Licensing Open-source helps determine possible commercial distribution routes. Strict licenses are enforcing other workarounds such as dual-licensing or cloud. The permissive licenses allow integration but need a clear value to brand offerings. The selected license essentially defines the ways in which the vendors may commercially distribute software using the advantages of the open source and this forces innovations outside the customary paradigm.
