The world of open source software is built on the principles of collaboration, transparency, and community involvement. However, over the years, several open source software companies have made the decision to go proprietary, often sparking controversy and debate within the developer community. In this essay, we will explore a timeline of open source software companies that have made the switch to proprietary.
One of the earliest examples of an open source software company going proprietary is Netscape. In the mid-1990s, Netscape was a pioneer in the web browser market, and its open source Mozilla project was widely popular among developers. However, in 1998, Netscape decided to close the source code of its browser, citing concerns over intellectual property and competition from Microsoft.
In the early 2000s, the open source content management system (CMS) provider, Mambo, made the decision to go proprietary. Mambo was a popular CMS platform at the time, and its open source community was active and engaged. However, in 2005, the company behind Mambo, Miro International Pty Ltd, decided to fork the project and create a proprietary version, which would eventually become known as Joomla.
Another notable example of an open source software company going proprietary is SugarCRM. In the mid-2000s, SugarCRM was a popular open source customer relationship management (CRM) platform, with a large and active community of developers. However, in 2007, the company behind SugarCRM decided to close the source code of its product, citing concerns over intellectual property and competition from proprietary CRM vendors.
In 2011, the open source version control system (VCS) provider, GitHub, made changes to its licensing terms, which effectively made its software proprietary. GitHub was founded in 2008 as an open source platform for developers to collaborate on software projects. However, in 2011, the company changed its licensing terms to restrict the use of its software for commercial purposes.
In 2013, the open source database provider, MongoDB, made the decision to go proprietary. MongoDB was founded in 2007 as an open source database platform, and its software was widely used by developers and companies around the world. However, in 2013, the company behind MongoDB decided to change its licensing terms, which effectively made its software proprietary.
In 2018, the open source software company, Redis Labs, made the decision to go proprietary. Redis Labs was founded in 2011 as an open source in-memory data store platform, and its software was widely used by developers and companies around the world. However, in 2018, the company behind Redis Labs decided to change its licensing terms, which effectively made its software proprietary.
In 2020, the open source software company, Cockroach Labs, made the decision to go proprietary. Cockroach Labs was founded in 2015 as an open source distributed database platform, and its software was widely used by developers and companies around the world. However, in 2020, the company behind Cockroach Labs decided to change its licensing terms, which effectively made its software proprietary.
The trend of open source software companies going proprietary has sparked controversy and debate within the developer community. Many developers and advocates of open source software argue that proprietary software is inherently restrictive and limits the ability of developers to collaborate and innovate. Others argue that proprietary software can provide a more stable and secure experience for users, and that companies have a right to protect their intellectual property.
The decision of open source software companies to go proprietary is a complex and multifaceted issue. While some companies may choose to go proprietary in order to protect their intellectual property or provide a more stable and secure experience for users, others may see this decision as a betrayal of the principles of open source software. As the software industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this trend develops and how it impacts the wider developer community.
