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Line 37: − − ==Prescient Quotes on Police State Internet Surveillance== − * "The progress of [[science]] in furnishing the [[big government|government]] with means of [[espionage]] is not likely to stop with [[wiretap]]ping. Ways may some day be developed by which the [[Police state|government]], without removing papers from [[hard disk|secret drawers]], can reproduce them in [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court|court]], and by which it will be enabled to expose to a [[jury]] the most intimate occurrences of the home. Advances in the [[computer science|psychic and related sciences]] may bring means of exploring unexpressed beliefs, thoughts and emotions. 'That places the [[liberty]] of every [[citizen|man]] in the hands of every [[tyrant|petty officer]]' was said by James Otis of much lesser [[tyranny|intrusions]] than these. 1 To Lord Camden a far slighter intrusion seemed '[[subversive]] of all the comforts of society.' Can it be that the [[Constitution]] affords no [[Right to Privacy|protection]] against such invasions of [[Fourth Amendment|individual security]]?" − ** [[Louis Brandeis]]''' (1856-1941), [[United States Supreme Court]] [[Associate Justice]] Dissenting, ''[[Olmstead v. United States]]'', 277 U.S. 438 (1928).
RobSmith moved page Open source to Open source (software)
[[Image:Opensource.svg.png|right|100px|thumb|OSI logo]]
[[Image:Opensource.svg.png|right|100px|thumb|OSI logo]]
'''Open Source''' is a software development model being promoted by the non-profit '''Open Source Initiative (OSI)''' corporation and other organizations which makes the program's [[source code]] available to the public.
'''Open Source''' is a software development model, promoted by the non-profit '''Open Source Initiative (OSI)''' corporation and several other organizations, which makes the program's [[source code]] available to the public.
==Open Source==
==Open Source==
==Copyleft==
==Copyleft==
A related concept is one espoused by [[Richard M. Stallman]] and his followers: copyleft. Copyleft subverts copyright law to create a class of software code and art that only allows for redistribution of code as long as those using the code also allow it to be redistributed. That way, software is developed from each according to ability and used according to need.<ref>http://blog.lab49.com/archives/659</ref>
A related concept is one espoused by [[Richard M. Stallman]] and his organization, the [[Free Software Foundation]]: The GNU Public License, often abbreviated GPL. This is designed to legally enforce the openness and freedom (as in "Free speech", not "free beer") of the software. Once one has access to GPL-licensed software, one is ''legally forbidden'' to take that freedom away by modifying the software and redistributing the derived work under a more restrictive license. In this sense the GPL can be considered a "viral" license—it "infects" whatever file it touches. This causes consternation in some quarters, but is widely considered the right way to enforce the principle.
Copyleft as a mechanism requires that any software which uses code from copylefted software to be licensed under the same terms—making it copylefted as well. In the long run, this will lead to more and more software being licensed under copyleft terms. Not only that, but, due to the nature of copyleft, a lot less diversity in licenses is possible—in fact, the most popular copyleft license, the GNU General Public License (GPL), is used for the majority of copylefted software. If this tendency will not be stopped, all open source software is soon to be licensed under one license.
Making the GPL perpetuate itself is rather tricky. Normally, when one purchases or downloads software, one legally accepts the license, promising to abide by it in perpetuity. This is often done by clicking on an "End User License Agreement" (EULA) during the installation process. But source files have no license that they can demand that one accept. So the trick is to use the ''copyright'', which is a legal principle that is generally accepted by society. But merely placing a normal copyright notice at the top of each source file doesn't really prevent someone from modifying the file and giving it to other parties, having it wind up with a license of one's own choosing.
The Free Software Foundation uses what it calls a "copyleft" (a play on the word "copyright"). This is basically a normal copyright notice but with added verbiage along the lines of "You must obey the GPL". Whether you have "accepted" the license or not, copyright law does not permit you to do ''anything'' with the file (other than read it) without obeying the copyright notice. If that notice says you must obey the GPL, you are not allowed to do anything with the file except in accordance with the GPL. And the GPL provides that any modified and redistributed file must bear the same "copyleft" and licensing terms. That way, the GPL perpetuates itself and achieves the goal of having software able to be developed by anyone.
Some people have suggested that this smacks of Communism or Socialism ("From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.") But the economic issues involved in the Socialism-vs.-Capitalism debate ("state ownership of the means of production") do not apply to information. Information is essentially free. State ownership of the means of production is meaningless when the means of production consists of clicking "download". After all, patents, copyrights and other forms of intellectual property are monopoly rights granted and protected '''by the government.''' In the United States, government-funded research, inventions and writings are exempt from patent or copyright claims and can be used freely by anyone.
Copyleft as a mechanism requires that any software which uses code from copylefted software to be licensed under the same terms—making it copylefted as well. In the long run, this will lead to more and more software being licensed under copyleft terms. Not only that, but, due to the nature of copyleft, a lot less diversity in licenses is possible—in fact, the most popular copyleft license, the GNU General Public License (GPL), is used for the majority of copylefted software. Some people have held that, if this tendency is not stopped, all open source software will soon be licensed under one license. These fears are exaggerated. There are quite a number of "free" software licenses, such as OSI and Creative Commons Licenses, which still legally enforce the open source principle.
==Permissive licenses==
==Permissive licenses==
[[Microsoft]] has claimed several times that the [[Linux]] kernel, as well as basic programs from most versions of Linux distributions, violates a number of patents Microsoft owns. While MS didn't disclose the actual patents violated, several companies who distribute [[Android]] or Linux-based devices decided to enter the patent agreement.
[[Microsoft]] has claimed several times that the [[Linux]] kernel, as well as basic programs from most versions of Linux distributions, violates a number of patents Microsoft owns. While MS didn't disclose the actual patents violated, several companies who distribute [[Android]] or Linux-based devices decided to enter the patent agreement.
==See also==
==See also==