Open Source Software Law

Rod Dixon

Artech House, 2004 - Business & Economics - 287 pages

The rise of the world wide web has brought with it growing software piracy and copyright violations. Open source software (software that is feely re-distributable and includes the source code) has become a central issue in the information technology industry. This unique and comprehensive resource offers a broad introduction to the area of software licensing in the information age. The book helps attorneys, business executives, and programmers understand the basic philosophy and key issues of open source software development and offers expert guidance on how to draft an open source license

Contents

• Open Source Software: 5
• Classifications of Software Distribution: 8
• OSD: 13
• Endnotes: 17
• The Open Source DefinitionAppendix 1A The Current Open Source Definition OSD: 18
• Free Software and the GNU GPL: 21
• Licensing To Meet Philosophical Objectives: 24
• Copyright and Copyleft: 26
• Code Forking: 29
• What Is Free Software?: 30
• What Is Free About Free Software?: 31
• Endnotes: 43
• Drafting Open Source Licenses: 45
• BSD License: 47
• BSD License Template: 49
• Restricting Commercial Uses: 52
• AFPL: 54
• Contract Formation Issues: 57
• Use Restrictions and Commercial Organizations: 60
• Artistic License: 61
• Commercial Open Source Ventures: 65
• Endnotes: 74
• About Protecting Property: 77
• Methods of Propertizing Copyright: 78
• The Impact of the Internet on Conceptions of Copyright: 79
• Software and the Public Domain: 80
• When Source Code Lacks Originality: 81
• Endnote: 85
• Electronic Contract Formation: 87
• ESign: 94
• UETA: 96
• UCITA: 98
• Warranties and As Is Licensing: 105
• Limitations on Liability: 107
• Choice of Law Provisions: 108
• Commercial Models: 111
• The Jabber Open Source License Template: 114
• The Open Software License: 118
• Documentation Licenses: 120
• Endnotes: 122
• Open Standards and Public Policy: 123
• Public Policy: 125
• Endnotes: 127
• Rolling Your Own Open Source License: 129
• Software Licensing Law and Policy: 132
• Open Source Benefits Are Free: 134
• Selected Open Source License Templates and Copyright Law Provisions: 135
• About the Author: 247
• Index: 249

Bibliographic information

• Title: Open Source Software Law; Artech House telecommunications library
• Author: Rod Dixon
• Publisher: Artech House, 2004
• ISBN: 1580537200, 9781580537209
• Length: 287 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Industries / Computers & Information Technology; Computers / General; Computers / Programming / Open Source; Law / Computer & Internet; Law / General; Law / Intellectual Property / Copyright