Look, we’ve all been there. You fire up a game engine or library, slap an MIT license on it, and watch the world remix it into whatever. Permissive. Easy. Profitable—for someone. That’s what everyone expected from Lithic3D, this indie game engine from Reddit user LlaroLlethri.
But no. This guy’s flipping the script with something called the Freehold Software License (FSL). Pay once, own forever—no ads, no microtransactions, no subscriptions sneaking in. It’s LGPL on steroids, laced with principles to keep software pure. Changes everything? Maybe for his conscience.
What the Hell Is ‘Freehold’ Software Anyway?
Back in the day—think 20 years ago, when I was cutting my teeth on Valley scoops—software meant CDs in shrinkwrap. Buy it, own it, done. No phoning home. No ‘freemium’ upsell. LlaroLlethri coined ‘freehold’ for that vibe: eternal ownership, zero enshitification.
His engine? A side project, probably. But the license? That’s the hook. He wants it viral among hobbyists who hate corporate sludge. Imagine: your open source tool, but only for apps that don’t nickel-and-dime users.
Short version: noble stand.
Long version? A sprawling mess of definitions waiting to trip everyone up.
The FSL Rules—Straight from the Source
Here’s the meat, pulled right from his Reddit post:
Your application must not contain micro-transactions
Your application must not contain ads
Your application must not require its users pay a subscription; it must be either free or pay-once
Your application must not be reliant on remote servers - unless the server-side software is available for users to self-host
Your application must not contain “active” DRM that could threaten the user’s long term ownership - except DRM added by a third-party app store (Google Play, Apple App Store, etc.)
That’s the add-on to LGPL vibes. Enforce it? Good luck—same as any license, he shrugs. But ‘active DRM’? ‘Micro-transaction’? Lawyers’ playground.
And here’s the kicker.
He admits: Lithic3D might flop. FSL might too. But screw it—principles over popularity.
Why Does This Matter for Open Source Devs?
Open source was supposed to liberate us from proprietary traps. Remember the GPL wars? RMS yelling about copyleft to stop proprietary forks. It worked—sorta. Kept Linux free-ish.
FSL? It’s AGPL’s scrappy cousin, but aimed at client-side crap. Not just servers (AGPL’s turf), but the apps themselves. No Fortnite-style loot boxes in your engine-powered game. No Spotify subs baked in.
Cynical me sees the cash angle. Who’s making money? VCs love recurring revenue—it’s predictable, scalable. Freehold? One-time sales. Dinosaurs like Microsoft Office 95 did it. Worked fine until SaaS seduced everyone.
But wait—my unique angle: this echoes the Shareware era of the ’90s. Apogee and id Software shipped DOOM, paid once, mods exploded. No subs, pure joy. Enshitification killed that; FSL wants resurrection. Bold prediction: it sparks a niche ‘freehold’ badge for indie repos on GitHub. Not mainstream, but a badge hobbyists flaunt.
Problem is, enforcement.
Can the Freehold Software License Actually Stick?
Floating the idea on r/opensource? Smart. Feedback will sharpen it—or bury it.
Critics’ll howl: too vague. What’s a ‘micro-transaction’? In-game cosmetic? Loot box? Battle pass? ‘Active DRM’—does Steam’s count? He carves out app stores, smart nod to reality.
Self-hosting clause? Solid against cloud lock-in. But remote reliance? Half the web’s screwed.
Likely outcome? Crickets. Big players want flexibility—Qt’s dual license exists for a reason: LGPL for opensource, proprietary paywall for corps. FSL blocks that.
He knows: ‘no one uses my engine. That’s OK.’ Purest motive I’ve seen in years. Amidst AI hype and crypto grifts, refreshing.
But who’s buying? Hobbyists, sure. Who wants their code in ‘crappy corporate slop’? (His words.) Drop FSL in your repo—signal virtue.
The depression he mentions? Spot on. Software’s a subscription swamp now. Even FOSS tainted—look at ProtonMail’s tiers, or Nextcloud’s enterprise upsells.
FSL fights back. Futile? Maybe. Inspirational? Hell yes.
The Money Trail—Who Wins Here?
Always ask: cui bono? Devs get purity. Users get true ownership. Corps? Hiss.
Venture world laughs—‘recurring revenue or die!’ But indies? Blockchain games wrecked by rugs; Fortnite addicts drained. Freehold revives shareware magic.
Historical parallel: Apache vs GPL. Permissive won for adoption; copyleft for ideology. FSL’s ideology incarnate. Won’t top charts, but plants seeds.
Skeptical vet take: love the fight, doubt the knockout. Still, props for trying.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Freehold Software License (FSL)?
It’s a proposed open source license like LGPL, but with rules banning microtransactions, ads, subscriptions, server reliance (unless self-hostable), and active DRM. Aims for ‘freehold’ software: buy once, own forever.
Will the FSL catch on in open source?
Probably not mainstream—too restrictive for corps. But hobbyists might love it as an anti-enshitification badge.
How do you define microtransactions in FSL?
TBD—post floats it loosely; drafting needs precision to avoid lawsuits.
