Sometimes Open Source is not as black and white as we might want it to be. Licensing for software is a very tricky thing I think.

Most of the time, an abundance of choice is a good thing. Who could argue against 31 flavors of ice cream or 57 varieties of condiments?

But when it comes to open-source software licenses, less might be more.

The deluge of licenses — 58 at last count — is creating major headaches for businesses hoping to mix and match open-source code. The result is a confusing, conflicting mix of do’s and don’ts that takes much of the “free” out of free software.

“License proliferation is hurting (developers’) ability to get businesses to use their software,” said Eben Moglan, one of open-source software’s best-known advocates.

The stakes are high for the $12 billion open-source software market, which International Data Corp. says will triple by 2008. [Read the rest]