We All Depend on Open Source. We Will Defend It Together
The article argues that modern technology and digital infrastructure are fundamentally built on open-source software. It calls for the community to collectively defend open-source principles against threats such as corporate overreach, restrictive licensing, and policy changes that could undermine its accessibility and collaborative nature.
Background
The author is likely a core developer or maintainer of a widely used open-source software project that has come under attack — either from corporate interests trying to restrict its use, from hostile state actors, or from legal threats that challenge its open licensing model. Open source software (e.g. Linux, Python, npm packages) is the invisible backbone of the modern internet and tech industry. This letter is a response to a specific recent event: a major corporation or entity attempting to undermine or exploit an open-source project's governance or license, often by circumventing its community-led protections. The piece argues that such attacks threaten the shared digital infrastructure nearly everyone relies on, and calls on the community to fight back collectively. Understanding the exact incident requires knowing which project the author represents and what the triggering event was — likely a high-profile license violation, hostile takeover attempt, or legal action against a maintainer.