2026-03-16 –, bUm Box
Open source licenses like GPL or MIT matter, but ecosystem is what truly defines how open and sustainable a project is. Open source isn't always as open as it seems! There are many tactics beyond licensing to lock you in - and copyleft isn't always better than permissive, or vice-versa.
Open source licenses like GPL or MIT matter, but aren't the whole story. An open project is often rather defined by its ecosystem: transparency, contribution access, buildability, and governance. In this talk, we’ll explore how projects often lean on their license as a proxy for openness, even while locking in features, obscuring build processes, or limiting community agency. I'd like to introduce the “Is It Really FOSS?” initiative, and have a look at how legal license choices intersect with reality. Let's look at lock-in tactics beyond licensing and how to build and steward genuinely open projects that can still be sustainable.
Why it’s relevant:
• Legal professionals and OSPOs will gain insight into how licensing interacts with project structure and governance.
• Entrepreneurs and contributors will learn how to evaluate and encourage true openness—not just in words, but in processes.
• It helps you look beyond pure licensing to ecosystem trust and sustainability.
Jos Poortvliet is co-founder and Communications Director at Nextcloud. He is a long time technology enthusiast and all-things-open evangelist. He has previously been community manager at SUSE and worked as business consultant at government, finance and telecom companies in the Netherlands. He is based in Berlin and loves cooking for friends, family and colleagues.
Find him on https://jospoortvliet.com!