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Open Source Software Law
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Rating: 5/5 from 1 reviews Authoritative and essential | ||||||||||||||||||||
The SCO debacle with respect to Linux, and earlier cases of open source challenges, such as that related to MySQL, underscore the importance of understanding what you can and cannot do under the provisions of the various open source license models. This book provides a thorough understanding of each of the major license models, a comparison of open source to commercial models, and topics such as intellectual property protection, governing laws, and related issues.
I like the way the author, a practicing attorney and respected expert in cyberlaw and Internet governance, places open source in context with background information on software patents, open source goals and the Open Source Definition. This is key to understanding the licensing models, including GNU GPL, Copyleft, Aladdin Free Public License, and Open Software License. It's also key to understanding the limitations and possible vulnerabilities inherent with these license models in particular, and open source models in general - especially regarding ownership of code, derivative works, and the legal ramifications.
An interesting chapter for anyone who is considering releasing an open source product, "Rolling Your Own Open Source License", covers these issues from the developer's perspective, and gives excellent advice for selecting the appropriate open source license model.
The appendices and associated CD ROM contain a wealth of reference material, ranging from significant provisions of UCITA and UETA (1999), to a summary of every major and some minor models not covered in detail in the body of the book. Two areas in the appendix that merits attention are Fundamentals of Copyright Law, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), both of which are germane.
This book is augmented by the author's weblog, which is an invaluable resource and should be visited. The CD ROM that comes with this book is a searchable resource for quickly finding license template information and related laws.