In this episode, we sat down with Ibrahim Haddad, VP of Strategic Programs (AI) at Linux Foundation, to discuss the recent report on “Open Source License Compliance”. Given the ubiquity of open source software in modern life, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to not only understand how different open source licenses work, but also ensure that they are fully compliant with the requirements of these licenses. Haddad says that open source licenses vary in requirements for compliance, with OSI-approved licenses being the gold standard. Companies using GPL-licensed code must provide notice, license text, copyright info, and changes made to the code to meet license obligations.
Haddad talked about various Linux Foundation projects that help with the creation of automated tools to identify and track licensed components. He also talked about the importance of SBOMs, in the context of both security and compliance. We also discussed the impact GenAI will have on open source and what it means for copyright and open source licensing.