Page 40 - Management Digest Udyama Vol 1 Isuue 2

Commercial vs. Free and
Open-Source Software
(FOSS) Models
In the current business setting, In the current business setting,
computer programs generate
lucrative business models for the computer programs generate
matured and start-up businesses. lucrative business models for the
The computer program matured and start-up businesses. The
development as a business
strategy has taken a new turn computer program development as
in the recent past (over 15 -10 a business strategy has taken a new
years) with the FOSS initiative. turn in the recent past (over 15 -10
The software industry enjoyed a
monopoly in the early days and years) with the FOSS initiative.
kept the source code as a business
secret. The developers did not
share the source code with the
license, and this business model
was called a proprietary software
licensing model. However,
in the recent past, a new trend This definition demarcates the and which should be a result of
started among computer software characteristics that are essential the intellectual thinking of the
developers and practitioners, for a FOSS license, and it is developer.
under which the source code of used by the FOSS community
the software opens everyone to to distinguish the FOSS from Generally, as stipulated in
use. proprietary licensees. In case copyright law mere ideas not
the absence of one freedom in a come to the scope of copyright
FOSS Licensing license will lead not to recognize protection, instead of idea needs
In the global ICT- based business the license as FOSS, and it will to be expressed any form to
environment FOSS licensing is fall into a proprietary license. qualify for copyright protection.
credited as a very popular trendy Historically, the FOSS idea Even though the copyright
business model. Contrary to the was conceived during 1988, protection rules and guidelines
proprietary software license, under a lot of criticism from are well documented in the
FOSS license gives more freedom commercial software developers Berne Convention and TRIPS
and flexibility to the licensees like Microsoft and some termed for other literal and artistic work,
and users with more freedoms. the FOSS as an intellectual there is not any globally agreed
The four-software freedom property killer. However, as time protocol yet on software. This
documented by Richard Stallman passes, this philosophy gained is mainly because the software
in 1991, gave a meaningful wider acceptance after realizing protection is very recent and
definition to FOSS licensing. the societal, economic, and postdated to the above treaties.
technological benefits of FOSS
a. FOSS license rants the user to initiative. However, World Intellectual
use the software program for Property Organization’s (WIPO)
any purpose (Freedom 0) Copyright Protection of copyright treaty has issued some
Software guidelines to a certain degree as
b. Study the program and adapt As stated previously, copyright to how software protection fits
it as needed by one’s use protection is the most possible into the above protocols. This
(Freedom 1) option for software. However, article is not going to nail into
as similar as to the requirement technical details of those sources,
c. Freedom to free distribute for other forms (literal work) of as the scope of this article is very
copies (Freedom 2) copyright protection, the idea precise.
needs to be expressed in an
d. Freedom improve the program appropriate way about the novel
and publish with one’s software solution. The expressed
improvements (Freedom 3) idea essentially should be novel

38 September 2021