License Change: GPL → BSL 1.1
After carefully considering the future of Elemm and how the system should be implemented, I inevitably ran into the question of licensing.
The initial choice of the GPL was not future-proof because it completely compromised the developer experience (UX). I needed a different license that could unlock this potential. However, permissive licenses like MIT or Apache 2.0 did not align with my long-term vision for Elemm either.
My Goal: Keep the adoption rate high—especially for smaller projects and indie developers—by ensuring they can use Elemm entirely free of charge. At the same time, I want to prevent large corporations with substantial revenue from leveraging Elemm to boost their profit margins without giving back to the ecosystem.
Let's be realistic: even though Elemm holds immense potential, it might not be adopted rapidly enough for major tech names to integrate it right away. Regardless, the GPL license proved to be cumbersome and impractical for several reasons.
The Transition to BSL 1.1
After analyzing various perspectives and requirements, I have decided to release all versions of Elemm starting from Version 1.3.1 under the Business Source License (BSL) 1.1.
This allows small development studios, startups, and indie developers to integrate the software into their projects completely free of charge and with peace of mind. They can fully benefit from Elemm without being forced to open-source their own code or projects. Simultaneously, it protects the codebase from large-scale commercial exploitation without fair contribution, and prevents Elemm from being commercialized under a new name or buried behind proprietary corporate walls.
100% Free for Indies, Startups & Builders
With this transition, I want to make sure that the community, indie developers, and startups can build on top of Elemm with zero friction. That's why Elemm is completely free of charge for your organization (including all affiliates) if you meet the following limits:
Zero Cost, Full Power for Builders:
- Indie Devs & Startups: Your annual revenue is under $5 Million USD (or equivalent) AND you have fewer than 50 employees in total.
- Staging & Evaluation: Alternatively, you can use Elemm free of charge as a Proof of Concept (PoC) or test environment to benchmark performance and token savings, regardless of company size.
This directly supports my vision of empowering startups, indie developers, and small teams to build, test, and implement landmarks while drastically reducing token consumption—100% free of charge for the community, ensuring support goes exactly where it is needed most.
Legal Security & Future Open Source
Because the BSL 1.1 enforces a "change date" (a maximum period of 4 years), the Elemm codebase will automatically transition to the Mozilla Public License (MPL) 2.0 after this period.
This guarantees that:
- There is absolutely no vendor lock-in.
- Existing projects remain legally secure over time.
- Your code and Elemm remain cleanly separated from a licensing perspective, removing any risks of copyleft contamination or legal complications.