Jos Poortvliet – Beyond the license: measuring real openness in open source #FOSSBack

In this talk, Jos Poortvliet examines the critical distinction between open source licenses like GPL and MIT and the broader ecosystem that truly defines a project's openness and sustainability. He discusses how projects may use their licensing as a superficial indicator of transparency while employing various tactics that limit community participation and obscurity in build processes. The session introduces the "Is It Really FOSS?" initiative, providing insights into the interplay between legal licensing choices and practical realities. Poortvliet encourages attendees to consider ecosystem trust and sustainability beyond mere licensing, equipping legal professionals, entrepreneurs, and contributors with the understanding needed to foster genuinely open projects.