wix

Interestingly, they've made only the source code open-source. They require a license agreement to download releases. See for example: https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/releases/tag/v6.0.1

This is absurd. Seriously, read the EULA: https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/blob/main/OSMFEULA.txt This fee only governs the binaries compiled directly by the company. You can "circumvent" this license by building the software yourself, or having someone else build the software. Right now I can click the download button on their github build, what then? They do not even link to to the EULA there, yet the EULA stipulates that this exchange requires me to pay money to them. The github statement stipulates that paying money requires me to first pay the maintenance fee, which is not part of the EULA, why? What is the point. Here is a tip: If you want to make money, make it easy to give you money. Right now any legitimate company has to fear walking into legal troubles with this. Can you imagine how the discussion with accounting is going to g

I thought the license was still owned by Microsoft? https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix?tab=License-1-ov-file#read... Also, the exact wording is: "a EULA on binary releases (including those published to GitHub and NuGet.org) requires payment of the Maintenance Fee" I'm not a lawyer, but doesn't that mean that I can compile the code myself to circumvent the Maintenance Fee, and give the binaries away for free?

You're correct, but I guess they're banking on their users preferring to get the binaries straight from the source instead of through an unaffiliated third party. There are also other benefits to paying, such as being able to file issues against the official repository. Seems like a pretty reasonable compromise to me, to be honest. The license even says you may redistribute the binary you acquire from them: > User may redistribute the Binary Release received under this Agreement, provided such redistribution complies with the OSI License (e.g., including copyright and permission notices). https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/blob/main/OSMFEULA.txt