Changelog Master Feed Elasticsearch is open source, again (Changelog Interviews #614)
Oct 24, 2024
Shay Banon, the creator of Elasticsearch and founder of Elastic, reveals the fascinating journey back to open-source. He discusses the complexities of open-source licensing and trademark law that led to their previous switch to a more restrictive model. The conversation digs into Amazon renaming its product to OpenSearch and the significance of branding in the open-source realm. Banon also highlights the emotional challenges the company faced and the broader impact on community perception and sustainability in the tech world.
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Trademark Conflict Fueled License Change
- Shay Banon shared how the trademark confusion with Amazon’s use of "Amazon Elasticsearch" was the hardest challenge Elastic faced.
- Amazon's refusal to rename strongly influenced Elastic's decision to change the license.
License Change Impacted Community
- Changing from an OSI-approved license hurt Elastic's image in the open source community.
- Shay felt personal sadness from this loss as some users and companies stopped using Elasticsearch.
AGPL License as a Practical Solution
- Companies worried about cloud providers should consider AGPL as a good open source license with enough protection.
- Shay suggests startups embrace AGPL to balance openness and protection from cloud exploitation.