[OSGeo-Discuss] Copy Left and Copyright for Geospatial software

[Arnulf Christl]

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On 17.10.2013 08:26, Ravi Kumar wrote:
> How many of the OSGeo Softwares are Copy Left and Copy Right
> Pl give a link where therationale is explained especially for OSGeo.
> I am aware that Free Software Foundation has things explained.
> This is to a great extent true only in countries like USA where software
> can be copy righted.
> In many countries software does not come under Copyright. Example: India.

Ravi,
this is interesting. What kind of rights are attributed (if any) to
software in India?

There is a comparable / yet very different issue in continental European
legal systems. "Copyright" did not exist here until they were introduced
from anglo-saxon jurisdictions in the last century together with patents
and the like. "We" instead had "originator's rights" which is an
intangible asset / cannot be "sold" like copyrights. The concept of
copyright, patents and "IP" is now enforced by WTO, WIPO and the like
and keeps the machine running for good or bad.

Free and Open Source Software licenses come from within the legal system
of Copyrights and re-implements a commons which works perfectly (other
than the tragic materialistic commons). But people lack an understanding
of the difference between sharing material goods and digital goods [7].

I believe the closest to a rationale on OSGeo's take on Free and Open
Source Software (but not an officially endorsed position) can be found
in recursive loops here:

http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Commercial_Software
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Free_Software
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Open_Source

Cheers,
Arnulf

[7] http://arnulf.us/Share

- -- 
Arnulf Christl (Director)
The metaspatial Institute Certification:
Open Source - Open Data - Open Standards
http://www.metaspatial.net/en/institute
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