[alexopensource]

Hey Hacker News,

I’m a co-founder of OpenSign, an open-source alternative to DocuSign. Recently, something concerning happened in our project that I believe the community should know about.

Someone has forked OpenSign and is attempting to strip all paid plan restrictions, replacing our project logos with their own. They even submitted a PR for these changes. While this technically complies with the AGPLv3 license that OpenSign is built on, it raises ethical questions about how open-source projects should operate.

OpenSign was designed to provide accessible, open-source e-signature tools while sustaining development through optional paid plans. This move doesn’t just undercut those plans—it undermines the sustainability of the project itself.

We’re committed to the open-source ethos, but forks like this create a dangerous precedent, especially when they explicitly try to hijack the original project's identity and monetization strategy.

I’d love to hear your thoughts—should open-source projects have more safeguards? Is this just "fair game" in the open-source world? How do we as a community draw ethical boundaries while respecting open-source licenses?

Let’s discuss!