<OS, FS, ShS, PS debate>

HLS, July 3, 2002

free, open, shared, proprietary

how’s a girl to choose?

<1>

Proprietary

Open or Free

+

Proprietary

machine

Open or Free

machine plans+

Proprietary

binary

Open or Free

binary source+

Proprietary

Open or Free

machine plans+

Proprietary

Open or Free

machine plans+

with proprietary, society gets the chicken;

with open/free, society gets the chicken and the

recipe

<2>

freeopen

sharedproprietary

freeopen

sharedproprietary

restrictions

open free

sharedproprietary

restrictions

public domainopen free

sharedproprietary

restrictions

public domainopen free

sharedproprietary

restrictions

© protected

what are the restrictions?

public domain:none

public domain:code + no restrictions

proprietary:all

proprietary:no code + tons

open:code + slight

open:code + slight

shared:code + lots

shared:code + lots

free:code + GPL

free:code + GPL

GPL?

copyleft

copyleft:“share and share alike”

copyleft:give on the same terms

that you took

<3>

advantages

1. Zero price

1. Zero price2. Good code

1. Zero price2. Good code

3. Teaching others

1. Zero price2. Good code

3. Teaching others4. Strategic behavior

1. Zero price2. Good code

3. Teaching others4. Strategic behavior

5. Destroy IP

open free shared prop

“free” y

good

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y

good

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m

good

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some

strat-egy

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egy

destroy

“strategic behavior”

depends on control

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

ly

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard

destroy

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard y

destroy

“destroy IP”

“viral”

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard y

destroy n

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard y

destroy n n

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard y

destroy n ? n

open free shared prop

“free” y y m y

good y y y y

teach all all some none

strat-egyunlike

lynever y, hard y

destroy n ? ? n

<4>

Which prefer?

Who’s the we?

Gov’t: two gains

Gov’t: two gains

Gov’t: (1) transparency

Gov’t: e.g.: Carnivore

Gov’t: (2) externality

Should we choose?

rich ecology

ecological threats:

software patents

If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of

today’s ideas were invented and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete

stand-still today.

The solution . . . is patent exchanges . . . and patenting as

much as we can. . . . A future start-up with no patents of its

own will be forced to pay whatever price the giants

choose to impose. That price might be high: Established

companies have an interest in excluding future competitors.

The solution . . . is patent exchanges . . . and patenting as

much as we can. . . . A future start-up with no patents of its

own will be forced to pay whatever price the giants

choose to impose. That price might be high: Established

companies have an interest in excluding future competitors.

Established companies have an interest in excluding future

competitors.

patents

patents BAD