Using open source comes with a set of obligations — as well as risks. As open source software continues to be adopted at an increasing rate, compliance with open source licenses becomes a more pressing initiative. Mitigating IP Risk: Three Strategies to Ensure Open Source Compliance discusses:

• Different types of risks associated with open source licenses
• Top approaches to mitigating risk in open source
• Pros and cons of manual open source audits
• Contrasts between semi-automated and continuous compliance
• Emerging trends in mitigating open source risk

Irresponsible usage of open source could result in litigation risk, lowered valuation, loss of market opportunity and damaged reputation which could impact sales and the recruitment of top talent. Three approaches to mitigating risk in using open source include manual audits, semi-automated compliance and continuous compliance. There are pros and cons to each approach, but continuous compliance fits best for companies leveraging agile development methodologies, DevOps and CI/CD technology tools.