Abstract
The open source software development model, which concerns the manner in which software technology is held, developed, and distributed, is an important phase in the evolution of the software industry. Open source software has powered the infrastructure of the Internet, and programs like Linux, Apache, and BIND, which use open source software, are often used as tools to run various Internet and business applications. Under the open source model, users are given access to software’s source code, and all components of the software are made available to the market by use of a very liberal license with few restrictions. This article argues the open source model has had a positive impact upon the public domain by giving society innovative and value added software projects. In addition, the open source software movement has inspired similar movements, like Creative Commons licenses dealing with content including music, books and other literary works, and other creative materials covered by copyright. The article explains the open source business model, in which individuals, companies, and organizations working on their own time and with their own money develop code, and distributors earn income by charging fees for service or selling hardware. The article also explains the effect of prominent litigation involving open source software, both in the United States and abroad. The article concludes that the open source licensing movement has given voice and space to those who dreamt of a world of innovation and creativity completely disconnected from the analysis of balance sheets and financial statements.
Recommended Citation
V. K. Unni,
Fifty Years of Open Source Movement: An Analysis Through the Prism of Copyright Law,
40
S. Ill. U. L.J.
271
(2015).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol40/iss2/7