Re: Should Public Policy Support Open-Source Software?

["" <peter_buch@hotmail.com>]

We see this argument in any industry where there is both basic and applied 
research.  The general agreement is that pure research is best conducted in 
the public sector, and that the results should be available to all.  The 
private sector inevitably assists in some way, and receives, in return, 
enhanced access or just goodwill.

Applied research is generally carried on in the private sector.  Once again, 
though, there is a crossover, where universities may contribute directly to 
proprietary products, in exchange for funds, which may in turn enhance the 
pure research capabilities of the institutions.

It's a symbiotic relationship that has worked well in this country.

The pure research in operating systems and applications goes on in homes and 
universities.  Innovation within a commercial enterprise is usually an 
anomoly - an individual working after hours or outside guidelines.

Microsoft and other software companies benefit freely and immensely from 
this commerce of ideas while contributing little or nothing to it.  With the 
exception of the GPL license, none of the open-source models prohibit 
companies from adopting open-source code, adding value and reselling.  
Programmers write for other programmers.  Very rarely does a programmer take 
a product successfully to the mass audience.  Software companies get a 
maximum of innovation with only minimal competition.

Innovation will come from everywhere, and everyone has an interest in 
fostering a creative climate.  The old business model of finding one good 
idea, patenting it, and jealously hoarding and milking it is over.  It does 
not apply to the information age.  Successful companies will be the ones 
like RHAT that understand and enhance the open source movement.

I've been in the software business, I've seen my competitors code, and 
they've seen mine.  For a time, most software was distributed in source.  
Nobody understands it like the guy who wrote it.  While your competitors are 
trying to understand it, you should be enhancing it - revolutionizing it.  
The government could require that every software company publish every line 
of their source code tomorrow, and provide massive server capacity to make 
it available online without having a significant detrimental effect to any 
software company worth it's salt.  And they probably should, just to keep 
them on their toes!
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