Matrix Shifting to Less-Permissive AGPL Open Source License in Its Decentralized Communication Protocol

The article discusses a change in the licensing of Matrix, an open-source communication platform. Element, one of the main contributors and maintainers of Matrix, has decided to shift its focus towards proprietary forks, while the existing Matrix implementations will be relicensed under the AGPLv3 license. This change aims to encourage contribution back to the core project and ensure that all modifications are released as open source for the benefit of the entire Matrix ecosystem.

The article highlights several key points:

1. Element is shifting its focus towards proprietary forks, which will not be subject to the same licensing requirements as the existing open-source implementations.
2. The existing Synapse and Dendrite repositories will remain on the Matrix.org GitHub domain, but may be forked by a third-party under a similar open-source license.
3. The Matrix Foundation will continue to play a critical role in safeguarding the core protocol, despite the changes to the licensing of Matrix.

The article also discusses the potential implications of this change, including:

1. The possibility that some companies may choose to fork the existing implementations and maintain them under a similar open-source license.
2. The risk that the Matrix Foundation’s role may be diminished if it is no longer involved in maintaining the core protocol.
3. The need for the Matrix community to adapt to this change and ensure that all modifications are released as open source.

Overall, the article provides an in-depth analysis of the changes to the licensing of Matrix and their potential implications for the open-source community.