New legal publication dedicated to free and open source software (FOSS)
The importance of the spread of free and open source software (FOSS) continues to impact a number of areas outside traditional software development.
Today sees the introduction of The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review.
Quote: “New ideas need time to gain general acceptance and, to begin with, few of those in the wider business community were aware of the profound changes which were taking place, and many of those who were aware of the changes misunderstood them. By and large, business people sought legal certainty and what they perceived as reliability, so clung on to nurse for fear of something worse. They regarded words like ‘copyleft’ with suspicion; and they looked at the preamble to GPL 2 and saw a document which looked to them more aspirational than legal in nature: a Constitution for the State of Hackerdom rather than a serious business tool.
However, some more far-sighted businesses saw Free and Open Source software much more accurately as a valuable business tool, upon the back of which entire business models might realistically be built. They were the pioneers, but it would not be long before the rest of the world began to catch up. Governments and institutions around the world began to see considerable gains in respect of strategic independence, lowered costs and increased reliability through the use of Free and Open Source software. In the commercial world, the old proprietary software business models daily seemed less and less relevant to the modern market place, and Free and Open Source software broke through as a serious player. There was a definite sense that the tide had turned.”
source
Today sees the introduction of The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review.
Quote: “New ideas need time to gain general acceptance and, to begin with, few of those in the wider business community were aware of the profound changes which were taking place, and many of those who were aware of the changes misunderstood them. By and large, business people sought legal certainty and what they perceived as reliability, so clung on to nurse for fear of something worse. They regarded words like ‘copyleft’ with suspicion; and they looked at the preamble to GPL 2 and saw a document which looked to them more aspirational than legal in nature: a Constitution for the State of Hackerdom rather than a serious business tool.
However, some more far-sighted businesses saw Free and Open Source software much more accurately as a valuable business tool, upon the back of which entire business models might realistically be built. They were the pioneers, but it would not be long before the rest of the world began to catch up. Governments and institutions around the world began to see considerable gains in respect of strategic independence, lowered costs and increased reliability through the use of Free and Open Source software. In the commercial world, the old proprietary software business models daily seemed less and less relevant to the modern market place, and Free and Open Source software broke through as a serious player. There was a definite sense that the tide had turned.”
source
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