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Free and Open Source Software

COMP107 Lectures

This lecture was given in the form of a PDF. View it here if you want to see it in full.

Linked to this lecture, there is a paper on Ethical Interest in Free and Open Source Software.

GNU and FSF

FSF was formed in 1985 to support of the GNU project.

According to FSF, four “freedoms” are essential for free software, i.e., the freedom to:

  1. Run the program, for any purpose.
  2. Study how the program works, and adapt it for your needs.
  3. Redistribute copies so you can help your neighbour.
  4. Improve the program, and release your improvements to the public so that the whole community benefits.

Open Source Software Movement (OSS)

OSS, began in 1988, shares many of the FSF goals, including the ability of a software user to look at, understand, modify and redistribute the source code for that software.

Like FSF, OSS requires that the source code for “open source software” is freely available.

So, both the OSS and FSF movements are similar with respect to their requirements for source code in the software development process.

OSS v.s. FSF

OSS and FSF have different philosophies:

  • FSF continues to focus on promoting its philosophical position that software should be free.
  • OSS has concentrated its efforts more on promoting the open source model as an alternative methodology to “closed-source” development for software.

OSS and FSF also differ with respect to requirements for how the software is used “downstream:

  • FSF requires that all derivative pieces of software be subject to the original requirements and thus remain “open” and non-proprietary.
  • OSS is more flexible with respect to its derivative software.
  • FSF requires that users strictly adhere to its GPL (General Programming License) in all derivative uses of its software.
  • OSS supports less restrictive licenses that permit programmers to alter the open source software and to release it as a proprietary product

Generally, OSS is less “anti-commercial” than FSS and many in the open source community interact comfortably with members of the business community.

However, OSS success still poses a significant threat to companies that produce proprietary software.

The Creative Commons

Lessig believes that the Internet allows for an “innovation commons”, which needs to be protected just as physical commons (parks, natural resources etc).

  • CC aims at providing creative solutions to problems that current copyright laws pose for sharing information.
  • CC does not aim to undermine copyright law.

Traditional copyright regimes tend to promote an “all or nothing” kind of protection scheme with their “exclusive rights” clauses. CC provides a middle ground because it makes possible a “some rights reserved” approach versus an “all rights reserved” policy. CC expands the range of creative work available to others legally to build upon and share.

CC provides a menu of options in its licensing and contract schemes, available for free on its Web site. These enable copyright holders to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining others.

Licensing Options

  1. Attribution

    Permit others to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work and derivative works based upon it only if they give you credit.

  2. Non-commercial

    Permit others to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work and derivative works based upon it only for noncommercial purposes.

  3. Derivative Works

    Permit others to copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of the work, not derivative works based upon it.

  4. Share Alike

    Permit others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.

CC and Software

CC does not recommend the use of their licences to software instead they “strongly encourage” to use either FSF or OSS licences but:

  • They do say that CC licenses can be used to license databases.

GitHub

git is a free and open source (released under the GNU General Public License version 2.0) system designed to handle the version control of projects.

The term “Git” and the logo are protected.

git is the core technology of GitHub, which is a software development platform, but also a social platform and user interface

IP in GitHub

GitHub has put together a site for developers to be able to use the license they want.

The licence used by the developer will be the licence that remains attached to the code, no matter what happens next, and until the developer decides to change it.

Developers can always make their repository private to avoid sharing.

Forking

Forked projects retain the same licence as the original (excluding modifications).

Student IP

Do students maintain Intellectual Property of the software they produce as part of a university course?

As a taught student you own the rights to the IP that you create as long as:

  • It doesn’t form part of a larger project being conducted by the University.
  • Uses minimal University resources.

If your project falls into these categories, you are free to develop the software you have thought of, and publish the code if you wish.