| Court Ruling Says Free Software, Open Source, Can Be Protected
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engine
msg:3722814 | 9:50 am on Aug 14, 2008 (gmt 0) |
Court Ruling Says Free Software, Open Source, Can Be Protected [nytimes.com] | A legal dispute involving model railroad hobbyists has resulted in a major courtroom victory for the free software movement also known as open-source software. In a ruling Wednesday, the federal appeals court in Washington said that just because a software programmer gave his work away did not mean it could not be protected. The decision legitimizes the use of commercial contracts for the distribution of computer software and digital artistic works for the public good. The court ruling also bolsters the open-source movement by easing the concerns of large organizations about relying on free software from hobbyists and hackers who have freely contributed time and energy without pay. It also has implications for the Creative Commons license, a framework for modifying and sharing creative works that was developed in 2002 by Larry Lessig, a law professor at Stanford.
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gibbergibber
msg:3722862 | 12:08 pm on Aug 14, 2008 (gmt 0) |
This is just common sense. Even before computing, many companies in many fields have given away products, or allowed their products to be used in other products, without giving up their rights.
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Lord Majestic
msg:3722888 | 1:09 pm on Aug 14, 2008 (gmt 0) |
That's the appeals court ruling which makes it more significant, good common sense ruling. If only we had more of that kind when it came to software patents.
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