Open Source or Open Exploitation? Our Thoughts on Licensing AI Infrastructure

The open source movement has been transformative for software development, but AI infrastructure presents unique challenges. This article explores the complexities of licensing AI systems and how to maintain a balance between openness and sustainability.

The Current Landscape

1. Traditional Open Source Models

# Example of traditional open source license
license = {
    "type": "MIT",
    "permissions": [
        "use",
        "modify",
        "distribute",
        "sublicense"
    ],
    "conditions": [
        "include_license",
        "include_copyright"
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "liability",
        "warranty"
    ]
}

2. AI-Specific Challenges

# AI-specific licensing considerations
ai_license = {
    "model_weights": {
        "distribution": "restricted",
        "usage": "research_only",
        "modification": "prohibited"
    },
    "training_data": {
        "access": "limited",
        "usage": "specified_purposes",
        "derivatives": "restricted"
    },
    "infrastructure": {
        "code": "open_source",
        "services": "proprietary",
        "apis": "restricted"
    }
}

Our Approach to Licensing

1. Core Infrastructure

# Core infrastructure licensing
core_license = {
    "code": {
        "license": "Apache_2.0",
        "permissions": [
            "use",
            "modify",
            "distribute",
            "patent_use"
        ],
        "conditions": [
            "state_changes",
            "include_notice"
        ]
    },
    "documentation": {
        "license": "CC_BY_4.0",
        "permissions": [
            "share",
            "adapt"
        ],
        "conditions": [
            "attribution"
        ]
    }
}

2. Enterprise Features

# Enterprise features licensing
enterprise_license = {
    "features": {
        "scaling": "enterprise_only",
        "security": "enterprise_only",
        "support": "enterprise_only"
    },
    "restrictions": {
        "commercial_use": "requires_license",
        "redistribution": "prohibited",
        "modification": "restricted"
    }
}

3. Community Edition

# Community edition licensing
community_license = {
    "features": {
        "core_functionality": "available",
        "basic_scaling": "available",
        "community_support": "available"
    },
    "restrictions": {
        "commercial_use": "allowed",
        "modification": "allowed",
        "distribution": "allowed"
    }
}

Implementation Examples

1. Dual Licensing

# Dual licensing implementation
class LicenseManager:
    async def check_license(self, feature, user_type):
        if user_type == "enterprise":
            return await self.check_enterprise_license(feature)
        else:
            return await self.check_community_license(feature)
    
    async def enforce_license(self, feature, usage):
        if not await self.check_license(feature, usage["user_type"]):
            raise LicenseError("Feature not available under current license")

2. Feature Gating

# Feature gating implementation
class FeatureGate:
    async def check_access(self, feature, context):
        license_type = await self.get_license_type(context)
        feature_tier = await self.get_feature_tier(feature)
        
        return await self.verify_access(license_type, feature_tier)
    
    async def enforce_gate(self, feature, context):
        if not await self.check_access(feature, context):
            raise AccessError("Feature not available")

3. Usage Tracking

# Usage tracking implementation
class UsageTracker:
    async def track_usage(self, feature, context):
        await self.record_usage(
            feature=feature,
            user=context["user"],
            timestamp=datetime.now()
        )
    
    async def check_limits(self, feature, context):
        usage = await self.get_usage(feature, context)
        limits = await self.get_limits(context["license_type"])
        
        return usage < limits

Best Practices

1. License Management

• Clear documentation
• Automated enforcement
• Usage tracking
• Compliance monitoring

2. Community Engagement

• Transparent policies
• Contributor guidelines
• Community feedback
• Regular updates

3. Business Sustainability

• Clear value proposition
• Fair pricing
• Sustainable development
• Long-term support

Real-World Examples

1. Infrastructure Projects

# Infrastructure project licensing
infrastructure_license = {
    "core": {
        "license": "Apache_2.0",
        "features": "all_core"
    },
    "extensions": {
        "license": "proprietary",
        "features": "enterprise_only"
    }
}

2. AI Models

# AI model licensing
model_license = {
    "weights": {
        "license": "research_only",
        "usage": "non_commercial"
    },
    "code": {
        "license": "Apache_2.0",
        "usage": "unrestricted"
    }
}

3. Development Tools

# Development tools licensing
tools_license = {
    "sdk": {
        "license": "MIT",
        "usage": "unrestricted"
    },
    "services": {
        "license": "proprietary",
        "usage": "subscription"
    }
}

Next Steps

Interested in our licensing approach? Check out our license guide or join our community.