Protecting SFTPGo: My Experience with Intellectual Property Violations

As the creator of SFTPGo, I’ve spent the past six years developing and nurturing this project. Throughout this journey, I’ve faced a wide range of experiences, some rewarding, others more challenging, but each one has underscored the critical importance of intellectual property protection, the sustainability of open-source projects, and the complexities involved in maintaining them. The long-term success of an open-source project relies on a delicate balance between collaboration, respect for intellectual property, and sustainable practices that ensure its continued growth and impact.

From the beginning, SFTPGo was developed with the goal of offering somethig useful while also encouraging collaboration and community contributions. However, over the years, I’ve increasingly seen my work being exploited, often by parties seeking to profit without acknowledging the effort put into the project or contributing back to it. This situation has become untenable, and I can no longer ignore it.

One common misconception that needs to be clarified is that open-source does not mean "free to sell". Just because SFTPGo is open-source, it doesn’t mean others have the right to resell it or exploit it for commercial gain without my permission. Open-source allows software to be used, modified, and shared under specific terms defined by the project’s license, but it doesn’t grant a free pass to resell or commercially exploit someone else’s work. In addition, SFTPGo is a registered trademark, which protects not only the software’s identity but also how it is used in commercial contexts. Unauthorized use of the word mark or resale of the software may constitute violations of both the license and trademark, each carrying legal implications.

To illustrate this, 31 unauthorized listings were recently removed from the Azure and AWS marketplaces due to intellectual property infringement. This action clearly demonstrates that reselling SFTPGo without explicit authorization is not only unethical but also legally prohibited. It's important to understand that infringing on intellectual property rights isn’t just a matter of principle, it has tangible legal consequences.

The reality is that many open-source projects lack the resources to effectively protect their intellectual property, making them especially vulnerable to exploitation. It's time we reconsider how we approach open-source and ensure it remains a space where mutual respect, fairness, and collaboration are the standards, not just a free-for-all.

To those who have respected and contributed to SFTPGo and supported its sustainability, I sincerely thank you. Let’s continue building something meaningful together. To those who have exploited and continue to exploit SFTPGo and open-source projects in general, I urge you to reconsider your approach. Taking advantage of open-source work without giving back not only jeopardizes the sustainability of individual projects but also erodes trust across the entire open-source ecosystem. Moreover, such actions may carry legal consequences.

The time for taking without giving is over.

June 8, 2025 - Nicola Murino