Our Mission

Helping open-source developers get paid for the software that powers the world.

_“All modern digital infrastructure depends on a project some random person in Nebraska has been thanklessly maintaining since 2003.”

— Inspired by xkcd 2347

The Open-Source Incentive Problem

Open-source software is the invisible foundation of our digital world. It powers everything from smartphones to stock exchanges, from medical devices to Mars rovers. Yet the people who build and maintain this critical infrastructure often work for free in their spare time without recognition or support.

$0.0T

Estimated value of open-source software to the global economy

Of open-source maintainers receive no financial compensation

Have quit or considered quitting due to burnout

Of that value created by just 0% of developers

Sources:

Harvard Business School, Working Paper 24-038: The Value of Open Source Software (M. Hoffman et al., 2024)

Tidelift, The 2024 Tidelift Maintainer Impact Report (2024)

Why Existing Solutions Fall Short

Voluntary Donations

Platforms like GitHub Sponsors and Patreon rely on goodwill. Out of 300 million companies using open source, only about 4,200 participate in sponsorship programs. That's a 99.999% freeloading rate.

Unpredictable, insufficient

Permissive Licenses

Licenses like MIT and Apache maximize adoption by allowing unrestricted commercial use. But this creates no obligation for companies to give back—even when they profit enormously from the software.

No sustainability mechanism

Copyleft Licenses

Licenses like GPL and AGPL require derivative works to be open-sourced. Many companies simply avoid these projects entirely, limiting adoption while still generating no revenue for developers.

Limited adoption, no revenue

Open Core Models

Offering a free open-source version alongside a paid proprietary version requires maintaining two codebases and creates tension between community and commercial interests.

Complex, creates friction

The Dual-Licensing Solution

We believe the best way to align incentives for lasting improvement is through dual licensing—a model that keeps software open while ensuring developers get paid for commercial use.

Open-Source License

Your code remains freely available under a copyleft license like AGPL. Anyone can use it for open-source development, study the code, contribute improvements, and build upon your work—as long as they keep their own code open.

For open-source developers

Commercial License

Companies that want to use your code in proprietary products pay for a commercial license through CodeLibra. This removes the copyleft restrictions and gives them clear legal terms for commercial use.

For proprietary development

Why Dual Licensing Works

Preserves open source: Your code stays freely available under copyleft terms

Creates fair exchange: Commercial users pay; everyone else uses for free

Aligns incentives: Revenue scales with commercial adoption and value

Enables sustainability: Predictable income supports long-term maintenance

What About Permissive Licenses?

Dual licensing also works with permissive licenses like MIT, though it's less compelling. Since permissive licenses already allow proprietary use, purchasing a commercial license becomes voluntary—a way for companies to support developers and gain formal commercial terms, rather than a requirement.

Who's Behind CodeLibra?

CodeLibra was founded by two lifelong friends with a love for ones and zeroes. One is an academic scientist; the other is an intellectual property lawyer. Their first computers were a Commodore 64 and an IBM Model 30, respectively.

Ready to make your work sustainable?

Join the movement to fix open source. Get paid fairly for the software you build.

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