Skip to main content
Back to Blog

Why Open Access Matters

4 min read
KohakuBlueLeaf
#open access #philosophy #licensing
Why Open Access Matters

Why Open Access Matters

You might notice we say “open access” instead of “open source” when describing Kohaku Lab projects. This isn’t just semantics - it’s an important distinction.

Open Source vs Open Access

Open Source

Traditional open source (MIT, Apache, GPL) means:

  • Free to use commercially
  • Free to modify and redistribute
  • Minimal restrictions

This is great for many projects! But it has challenges:

  • Companies can take your work and sell it without giving back
  • Your research can be commercialized by others without your involvement
  • Contributors’ rights aren’t always protected

Open Access

Open access means:

  • Freely available for research, learning, and non-commercial use
  • Accessible to everyone who wants to learn or experiment
  • Protected from pure commercial exploitation

Some of our projects use licenses like Creative Commons NC (non-commercial) or similar terms. This lets us:

  1. Share our work freely with the community
  2. Protect against pure commercial extraction
  3. Maintain control over how our research is used
  4. Still allow commercial use through partnerships or licensing

Why This Matters for AI/ML

The Training Data Problem

ML models trained on open data sometimes end up behind commercial paywalls. That feels wrong to us.

The Compute Inequality

Not everyone has access to massive compute resources. If we share our pre-trained models openly, we help level the playing field - but we don’t want companies to just package and sell them.

Research vs Product

There’s a difference between:

  • Research use: Understanding how something works, building on ideas, learning
  • Commercial product: Integrating into a paid service without contributing back

We want to encourage the first while having some say in the second.

Our Licensing Philosophy

For Kohaku Lab projects:

Permissive Open Source

Some projects use MIT or Apache licenses when:

  • The project is a library or tool
  • We want maximum adoption
  • Commercial use aligns with project goals

Example: Development tools, training libraries

Open Access (Non-Commercial)

Some projects use Creative Commons NC or similar when:

  • The project represents significant research investment
  • We want to prevent pure commercial exploitation
  • We’re open to commercial licensing partnerships

Example: Pre-trained models, research implementations, utilities platforms

Case-by-Case

Each project is evaluated independently based on:

  • Nature of the work
  • Community needs
  • Sustainability goals

Common Questions

”Isn’t non-commercial limiting?”

For most users - researchers, students, hobbyists, open-source projects - there’s no limitation. You can use everything freely.

For commercial entities, we’re happy to discuss partnerships and licensing. This actually creates opportunities for sustainability.

”How do you enforce this?”

We don’t actively police usage. The licenses are there to:

  • Set clear expectations
  • Provide legal foundation if needed
  • Encourage good-faith use

Most people respect the licenses. Those who don’t… well, that’s what lawyers are for (hopefully never needed).

”Can I build on your work?”

Absolutely! If you’re:

  • Learning from our code
  • Using it for research
  • Building open-source projects
  • Experimenting and having fun

Go for it! That’s exactly what we want.

If you’re building a commercial product, let’s talk. We’re reasonable people.

The Bigger Picture

Open access isn’t about being anti-commercial. It’s about:

  1. Protecting contributors: People donate their time and expertise
  2. Ensuring accessibility: Knowledge shouldn’t be gated by payment
  3. Building sustainability: Allowing commercial use while having a say in it
  4. Maintaining values: Staying true to why we build things

What This Means for You

If you’re using Kohaku Lab projects:

For Research/Learning:

  • Download anything
  • Experiment freely
  • Build derivative works
  • Share your findings

For Open Source Projects:

  • Integrate our tools
  • Build on our research
  • Contribute back (appreciated but not required)

For Commercial Use:

  • Check the specific project license
  • Reach out if you’re unsure
  • We’re open to partnerships

Conclusion

Open access lets us share our work with the world while protecting the interests of contributors who volunteer their time and expertise.

It’s not perfect, but it aligns with our values:

  • Passionate people building cool stuff
  • Sharing knowledge freely
  • Protecting creative work
  • Staying sustainable

We believe you can be both open and responsible. That’s what open access is about.

Thoughts on licensing? We’d love to hear your perspective. Open an issue on GitHub or reach out.

Explore our projects: View all projects