> Now imagine if there was a "charitable" catering group that accepted donations from large corporations and used it to provide free catering near corporate events. Should they be allowed non-profit status?
Are the open to the general public? Are homeless people not turned away at the door? If yes, then yes, they should be allowed non-profit status.
Just because something is theoretically open to the public, doesn't mean it's accessible or useful to the public. If the catering event is setup outside Google HQ or even in a public park in a rich or rural area it's not like a bunch of homeless people are going to show up.
The same is true for many OSS products. Yes, anyone from the public with an internet connection has access to the software. But what's the point if the software is only really applicable to certain commercial interests?
> But what's the point if the software is only really applicable to certain commercial interests?
Because it's available to all companies with the same commercial interests. OSI approved licenses are all non-discriminatory, so if you are open sourcing the software your business is built on, then the code is useful to not just your own business interests, but every company that shares your business interests, competitors included.
I think that if you're releasing software in such a non-discriminatory manner then it is for the greater good (even if that greater good is only potential) and should be eligible for non-profit status.
Are the open to the general public? Are homeless people not turned away at the door? If yes, then yes, they should be allowed non-profit status.