• Some continue to criticize Prusa Research’s new Open Community License, but why? • The backstory: Last December, Prusa Research announced anew license for their products, specifically for their latest platform, the CORE One 3D printer. • This is different from the licenses they used previously, which were traditional open source licenses normally used for software projects. • The new Open Community License (OCL) differed from open source licenses in that it prohibits the use of the designs for commercial gain, or at least without signing a separate licensing agreement with Prusa Research. • Specifically, the license states: “YOU MAY use the product and modify it for your use case solely for your internal production use. • YOU MUST NOT modify the product and/or its components for any commercial purpose other than your internal production use.
Article Summaries:
- Prusa Research has rolled out a new Open Community License (OCL) for its CORE One 3D printer, a shift from the company’s previous open‑source software licences. The OCL allows internal use and modification but bars commercial use or resale without a separate business licence, aiming to stop other manufacturers from copying the design and selling cheaper versions. The move has sparked criticism from the open‑source community, which argues the licence violates key open‑source principles such as freedom to sell and use in any field. While Prusa seeks to protect its market position, the change risks alienating its long‑time supporters and has been labeled “open‑source washing.”
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