[wyattjoh]

> Any license which restricts a user's ability to use the software how they wish is no open source license

That's the thing though. The only thing (from my naive understanding) that SSPL limits is a business (Like Amazon) from offering Elasticsearch as a service. If an organization (Like Amazon) wanted to use Elasticsearch internally (to say, power some part of their shopping platform), they are free to do so with this license.

It's essentially protecting Elastic's business model, which quite honestly, should be the bare minimum offered by any open source product.

[ddevault]

There's nothing wrong with using a licensing model like the one you describe. If don't want Amazon to use your software, then license it as such, whatever. However, that software is not open source.

Furthermore, if you change a project which is open source, to a licensing model which is not, it's a dick move.

It's not important if the needs of the business are "reasonable", we could argue about that but it's beside the point. Open source has no relationship with the requirements of your business. It has a specific meaning, and if you betray those principles, you betray the people who trusted you on those terms.