Research and academic organizations are just now finding out that they will have to pay for software made by Anaconda, when for years these groups were under the impression it could be used at no cost.

That realization follows the data science biz broadening its pursuit of what it sees as violators of its shifting terms-of-service.

Anaconda offers a distribution of Python and R programming languages that includes a curated set of open source data science packages for scientific and academic applications. The Anaconda distribution includes a package manager called Conda, and is presently offered in four tiers: Free, Starter, Business, and Enterprise. About 40 million people use the Anaconda distribution, according to the company.

In April 2020, Anaconda introduced a fee for “heavy commercial use,” and in October that year clarified that term to mean organizations with more than 200 employees. “Anaconda will always offer a free version for academics, hobbyists, non-profits, and small businesses,” the developer said that month.

Organizations with 200 or more people are today required to purchase a Business or Enterprise license.

It doesn’t help that Anaconda’s messaging about its licensing terms is, arguably, difficult to follow.

 

You can read the entire article here in The Register