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The Single-Vendor Commercial Open Source Business Model | Software Research and the Industry.

Riehle’s fairly well-known paper from 2009, updated 2010, bears re-reading, especially as more companies consider open source and choose, consciously or no, to utilize an open core model. Open core means an open “core” but proprietary (or similar) add-ons or other elements that actually make the application desirable. It unfortunately has tended to become, at least in some circles, a preferred business model for young companies wanting to engage in open source but reluctant to commit completely to a copyleft licensing scheme.