this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2024
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[Help] How do I word my grant application to keep my software FOSS? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago by thevoidzero@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Hi everyone,

I'm hoping there are people here who work on FOSS and have applied for grants to support their software financially. I am applying for a grant opportunity that is asking for a software from US gov agency.

My requirements:

  • I want to publish it under Open Source Licenses like GPL (not MIT) so other corps can't take this to use on their product,
  • The grant agency will get the source code, they can do whatever as long as the license is held,
  • I will develop the features they want, and request during the duration of grant,
  • I will want to continue development independently after the grant, or apply for more grants from other organizations,
  • To clarify the previous point, I do not want to give them the final product so they own it, and I can no longer do anything on the program.

So, if anyone has done similar things, please give me advice on this. Their requirement says "a web repository" should be provided at the end, so I think I can apply with the intention of giving them the software code while keeping the rights. But I don't want to make a mistake in application/contract and lost the rights to the program, I want to develop a lot further than just the features they want for their use case.

Or at least dual license to protect the Open Source Side while giving the grant organization rights to take the code for their other programs because of the money they spent.

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[–] tabular@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I'd like to know about that too.

I imagine you're aware but GPL doesn't directly prevent corps from using your code (just often done because their code is often propriety). They can use it legally as part of their own GPL licensed code or when they are offering software as a service (they don't distribute the binary, it's running on their server). In that case where your code could be running on a server then the AGPL would be preferable if giving software freedom to their users is part of your goals.

[–] thevoidzero@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

I'm fine as long as it is used in other GPL projects. I just don't want them to take this, use it on some proprietary code and make money/mine data and other things and not contribute to upstream or open source in general.

I hadn't thought about the network usages, I though GPL covered it. So, is AGPL everything GPL has plus software service from network? If yes, then I will use that license. EDIT: Saw that AGPLv3 is indeed GPLv3 + the network thing.

[–] tabular@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Furthermore you can mix GPL and AGPL licensed code, each part retaining their license. So you can include someone's GPL code in a new AGPL project (or vice versa). It's stated in the GPLv3 license under "Use with the GNU Affero General Public License".

[–] Lime66@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I just don't want them to take this, use it on some proprietary code and make money/mine data

They can't make your code proprietary, but they can still steal peoples data and make money all they like with your code, GPL has no privacy clause

[–] thevoidzero@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Yeah, but my program does not have such things in the code. And if you add it, GPL will make it so that they have to share to code, so people will be able to tell if they try it, right?