COPYCENSE

“Open-source software isn’t a new phenomenon. It has been winding its way through the tech world for decades, starting with Richard Stallman‘s Free Software movement in 1980s. But only in recent years have businesses warmed to the promise of low-cost, openly available software. In fact, open-source programs have become so popular, they now pose a legitimate threat to the established software giants.

“Looking back, 2005 will likely be viewed as a turning point. It was a year when CIOs signed off on open-source projects, a big change from previous years when that happened only after low-level engineers started such projects on their own initiative. BusinessWeek Online paused in the final days of 2005 to poll a dozen experts, investors, early adopters, and entrepreneurs to get their take on the five biggest open-source events of 2005 — as well as what to expect for 2006.”

Sarah Lacy. A Watershed for Open Source. BusinessWeek Online. Jan. 9, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the intersection of business, law and technology. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.