Source First

Source first is a set of software and licensing principles that both hold developers socially accountable to their users, while simultaneously ensuring the rights of the original creators of software are respected.

The primary goal of source first is to allow users to be in control of their computers. Users are entitled to know exactly what their computers are doing and must be allowed to program them however they see fit.

The secondary goal is to enshrine the rights of developers. High quality software should have responsible owners who have the right to control the destiny of the software that they create. Developers have the right to profit from their work and deny large corporations the ability to freeload.

Source first is a set of principles that can effectively bridge this gap where other options fail. We are laying out these guidelines here in order to create accountability for both ourselves and our users.

Principles of Source First

Access to Source

Everyone should have full access to the source code of everything they are running. This is a core freedom that all software should have. Any code running serverside must also be released alongside any client source code.

Users must be allowed to modify the software they are running for their own use and have the right to redistribute it for non-commercial purposes. This does not include the right to strip out payment links or use trademarks in modified versions of software.

No Free Ride for Megacorps

The tech oligopoly has gotten a free ride from open source projects for too long and we will not allow large corporations to benefit from the labor of small community developers without paying their fair share.

Other licenses protect corporate interests or they deny any commercial use. We have decided on a new path. If you are a large organization you are obligated to pay developers of the software you are using or packaging. Full stop.

Preservation of Attribution

Authorship associated with a source first license is to be preserved in all copies of the software that are shared or modified. By this, we mean that you cannot take a piece of software, remove the attribution from it, and share it as if it were your unique creation. Developers deserve to be credited for their work and not have others steal attribution for authorship.

No Advertisements

No product or software that is source first can include ads or other malware within it. By this we don’t mean that a product can’t include a simple shout out to another project within it, that is totally fine. However, projects should not explicitly have paid advertisements or other advertising features embedded within them.

Privacy is Respected

Privacy is a primary issue in the current software landscape and there are many open source projects which overtly violate users’ privacy. Any software that contains telemetry must have a mechanism for opting into said telemetry. We fundamentally reject all “the user is the product” software business models.

How can I use a source first license in my software?

The following template for licensing exists at the moment: FUTO License. Feel free to use this in your own software if you follow the source first criteria laid out above. Simply change the name from FUTO Holdings to your own.

Why not use another similar software license?

There are obscure commercial licensing options that attempt similar goals. These other sets of licensing principles, such as Fair Code, have not managed to gain any relevant traction. Many other options are extremely niche or centered around one specific product.

Unlike other organizations, we have trademarked the term “source first”. This makes it an enforceable term with teeth to it that we can stand behind.