Published Paper Details:

A universal and essential part of contemporary corporate software development and digital infrastructure is the incorporation of open-source software (OSS). However, this broad use has led to a recurring conflict between corporate proprietary models and the philosophical and legal foundation of robust "copyleft" licenses, such as the GNU General Public License (GPL). This essay contends that copyleft's legal risks, especially the possibility of "license contamination," have developed into a major driving force behind innovation in risk management and corporate governance, moving beyond simple compliance concerns. This study examines the far-reaching operational consequences of copyleft by analyzing internal corporate responses, such as the emergence of the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and the implementation of the Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and by analyzing how it has transformed Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) technical due diligence, becoming a sustainable source of competitive advantage.