Open Source: Good and Bad
Introduction:
In the following paper I will be discussing the use of open source software as part of a larger project. Example uses of this include incorporating existing publicly available source code within another piece of software. Because the term open source has such broad implications, I will attempt to explain it within the context of this paper. Open source code comes with many different licenses such as GPL, BSD, and MIT. I will describe the most popular licensing options and how they differ. Many companies believe open source software projects have an immense lack of accountability; this is simply untrue. Lastly, open source software has recently received an abundance of attention in the media because of possible copyright violations. I will discuss some of the probable scenarios regarding copyright violations with open source and how to protect ones self. Throughout this paper, I hope to shed some light on the use of open source and how beneficial it truly can be to a company.
Open source software and code can be a wonderful and vastly useful tool. In today’s programming world, there is not much left in terms of new frontiers of programming. Most of the algorithms that programmers need have already been written. Why spend the time to rewrite a complicated algorithm or function when it has already been done and free for you to use? Luckily, other programmers have generously donated their time and money to provide you with free code. Before you dive in, there are a few details to be aware of.
Definition of open source:
The term open source refers to several different things. Sometimes it means a fully functional software program, available for free. Other times it is a C library, made available free of charge. For this paper, when I say open source, I mean the following: source code, in partial or complete form, with some form of public, free-of-charge licensing. I do not mean using open source tools to write software. A good example of what I am referring to would be heading over to Sourceforge (1) and grabbing a couple hundred lines of code from the CVS repository of the Gaim Project (2) for use inside your project. Note that 99 percent of the time when you engage in this type of activity, you are required to also copy the license at the top of the code. Basically, the licensing information must always be copied with ...
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...nderstand that open source as a whole is more than bits and bytes of code; it is a type of social movement that many people take very seriously. Instead of treating open source as an obstacle to profits, consider it as another tool used to develop a better product. The best form of advertising is word of mouth, even in the age of computers. If word gets around that you are an open source contributor or friend, I guarantee you will find yourself with extra customers.
Bibliography
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5. Taft, Darryl K. “Google Gives Behind-the-Scenes Peek” eWeek. 3 Mar. 2005 .
6. “News.” Open Source Risk Management. 15 Feb. 2005. .
7. Ante, Spencer. “A Linux Nemesis on the Rocks.” BusinessWeek. 3 Mar. 2005 .
8. “Offerings. “ Open Source Risk Management. 2004.
9. “Why Subscriptions.” Red Hat Corporation. 2005.
Taking a global perspective, one must keep in mind that the term “copyright” is not universally defined, accepted, or enforced. We must therefore use the term with the United State’s definition as a basis. However, absent U.S. law, we must also consider the creator’s intent as it relates to the distribution and use of his or her work. This exploration will lead us to a universal position – one that claims that the wide-scale, free exchange of Intellectual Property by means of P2P technology is unethical.
Though it is often overlooked today in favor of its counterpart digital music protection, software content protection is an extremely serious issue, and many contend that it has the potential to stunt the growth of technology if it is mishandled. The debate concerns software piracy (often simply using a program you didn’t actually pay for), and the proper legal protection that should apply to such software programs. Due to space constraints, I intend to confine our discussion here to an overview of the software patent and copyright issues in the United States and the UK – two of the world’s most advanced countries with widespread software development and use, and therefore great potential for misuse. And as no treatment of this issue can be complete without a look at its ethical ramifications, I will finally propose a solution to the software protection problem, and justify it with ethical as well as pragmatic motivations.
Proprietary software is defined as computer software in which the producer has set restrictions on use, private modification, copying, or republishing. Open source and free software are pretty much the opposite, the source codes are made available which permits the user to use, change, improve, and redistribute it in an unmodified or modified form. These definitions first led me to believe that proprietary software was more secure when compared to others because of its code not being available. Recent observations have shown though that even proprietary software developers are starting to realize that open source software development has been so successful that proprietary companies have been paying attention to incorporating open source strategies into their business model. [3] These observations have led to the development of hybrid software that has elements of both proprietary and open source software. As a matter of fact, we are alread...
In 1970s, the software was firstly subjected as intellectual property. Stallman felt if the software-based computing idea was treated as an intellectual property and controlled as proprietary, then he as a hacker[2] no longer could read the source code, find the problem, and fix the problem in the MIT lab community. It would be a major drawback to the freedom in technology from social and moral perspective. So Stallman quit the job in MIT and found Free Software Foundation[3] in 1984 as a nonprofit organization that provides various types of software such as: GCC compiler and Emacs editor. He created the General Public License (GPL)[4] as a legal document to prevent free software from being turned into proprietary. GPL is also known as copyleft[5]. To most of Stallman’s supporters and open source hackers, “non-free software is a social problem and free software is the solution.”[6]. The main theme of free software is the moral freedom – the cultural and legal freedom to ac...
This paper will endeavour to highlight some salient features of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000 in relation to the re-use or re-distribution of commissioned software code.
What this means is that the program that is used here will feature a source code that is open for all people to adjust. It also allows for people to make all of the adjustments that they make to the program open to the public provided that it is distributed with the same license terms as what was used in the original program. It must not restrict any software or other functions in a computer and it must not be given out with a cost attached to it (OSI 1).
The analysis started in chapter two with examining the definition of software and the conditions and circumstances under which it is protected by two intellectual property rights, namely copyright and patent. In chapter three the questionable legal nature of software was reviewed and the possibilities to exploit rights in software –under licenses- were explained. Further, in chapter four, the definition of open source was introduced and major open source licenses currently in use were presented. A conclusion that came out was that the open-source licensing regimes are no longer confined to idealistic or academic programmers but have led to the creation of diverse licenses that provide for different possibilities and accordingly are more or less compatible with copyright protection. In chapter five the most important legal controversies around open source software licenses from a contractual point of view were put under scrutiny. This analysis estimated that the uncertainty around the contractual nature of ...
Linux is becoming more and more used in business today. One of the main reasons is the cost-effectiveness of the operating system itself. As well, there are numerous articles all over the Internet and news media detailing the positive aspects of open source operating systems in business today. One reference found on the Open Source website describes the basic idea behind open source code. “When programmers on the Internet can read, redistribute, and modify the source for a piece of software, it evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, and people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing.” (Open Source, August 2000)
Frank Hecker, “Setting Up Shop: The Business of Open-Source Software,”IEEE Software, vol.16, January/February 1999, pp.45-51
The study of trust and control in a virtual organization has had researchers emphasizing on the importance of trust as a necessary condition for ensuring the success of these mentioned organizations (2001, p.277). Although we have been led to believe that this trust is the backbone of the virtual work environment, the author Michael Gallivan has explored the Open Source Software (OSS) movement and has made a case for the contrary. He states that “various control mechanisms can ensure the effective performance of autonomous agents who participate in virtual organizations”. He goes on to say that effective performance can be produced through control, efficiency, predictability, and calculability of processes can occur in the absence
The idea of calling on the public for input is barely new, of course, and the open-source movement has shown us that it can be done with incredibly large masses of individuals. The difference, however, is that today's technology enables large numbers of non-technical people to complete complex and creative tasks, at significantly lowered expenses.
Many years have passed since the first pirates emerged on the sea, but they still exist and have extended their scope of action. Meaning of the word ‘’pirate’’ has changed and now can be defined as the person who illegally makes a copy of someone’s property. Music, films, books and software on hard media can be pirated by consumers. According to Gopal and Sanders (1998 381) software piracy is the operation of simulating original software which is against the law for any purpose. Such illegal acts could seriously affect industry and society. For instance, losses of software industry profits because of piracy were $12.8 billion in 1993 (Austin American-Statesman 1994), it shows that a large number of software products were pirated. Therefore, piracy is a major problem for the advance of the software industry and consumers. This essay will cover causes and effects of software piracy. There are four main reasons why the piracy of software is easy and widespread, economic development, legislation, reliability of pirated copies and consumer’s attitude. Software piracy has the intellectual impact on society and the financial effect on the industry. This essay also will provide the combat process and analyze some proposed solutions in order to determine the effective solution.
Is a computer software that given licensed and given the right to use the software. It is restrictful from other users to modify, share, study and redistribute. Source codes are not available.
As the Internet has became more prevalent, the need for copyright protection there has also become a necessity. Today, copyright law has adapted to protect Internet articles, as adapted over the years to protect various other new