Vitalik Buterin, the founder of the Ethereum blockchain, has undergone a significant shift in his perspective on Web3 development, now advocating for copyleft licensing. In a recent blog post, he details his journey from championing open-source software to recognizing the necessity for developers to demand fair returns for their contributions.
Buterin likens permissive licenses to lending a friend your car without restrictions, while copyleft licenses are more akin to allowing a friend to borrow your car with the stipulation that any modifications must be shared. He explains that copyleft allows for sharing under the condition that others also share in return, a contrast to the unrestricted nature of permissive licenses.
Initially, Buterin believed in the power of unrestricted sharing to promote innovation. He viewed the barriers posed by complex licenses as detrimental to progress.
However, changes in the tech landscape shifted his view. Major companies like Google and Microsoft began embracing open-source, diminishing the fears that had once held back corporate involvement.
The blockchain landscape also evolved, with competition intensifying and the altruistic spirit of open-source collaboration waning. Buterin was also influenced by economic theories suggesting that unchecked property rights could lead to monopolistic outcomes.
He observed that when larger players have significantly more resources, they dominate the market, reinforcing existing hierarchies. This realization, coupled with the decline of traditional checks and balances in technology transfer, prompted his advocacy for copyleft licensing.
Buterin argues that copyleft licensing offers an elegant solution to these challenges by establishing a voluntary system that encourages sharing of improvements made to shared code. This approach could safeguard the decentralized principles of blockchain technology, ensuring its promise is not lost to the same power dynamics that pervade conventional industries.