Not long ago, open source software in the enterprise was a contentious topic. Conference panels and industry experts questioned the integrity of mixing open source with commercial and proprietary code. Would it unlock a pandora's box of developer pain and sub-par software? Amidst the heated debate, open source tiptoed its way into the business of large-scale software development and settled in to stay.

Last year, a Forrester study showed 75% of large enterprises surveyed were either using or planning to use open source software. That was up from 60% the year before. In a study from InfoWorld magazine, 87% of respondents said their companies were already using open source in several projects-even for mission-critical applications. In 2007, The451 Group confirmed it: open source software is gaining worldwide adoption in commercial software companies.

And so, the tides turned. However, just because open source is ubiquitous doesn't mean it's risk-free. Many businesses widely use open source in commercial projects, but are blind to what's at stake when they distribute software that includes open source code. Continue reading and learn how to both protect your business and capitalize on opportunities when traversing the legal landscape of open source.