distribution in open source short (05 02 2010)
DESCRIPTION
The "short" version of my presentation on Distribution in Open Source at ITECHLAW Asia 2010 in Bangalore, 5 February 2010.TRANSCRIPT
Distribution in Open Source
Martin von Haller Groenbaek partner, Bender von Haller Dragsted
ITECHLAW ASIA 2010 Bangalore, 5 February 2010
• Attorney-at-law, Bender von Haller Dragsted • Co-founder, Open Source Vendors Ass. (OSL) • Editorial board IFOSSLR • Co-founder, Creative Commons DK • Co-founder, Danish Internet Society Chapter
• http://www.bvhd.d • http://www.openlife.dk • http://www.vonhaller.dk • http://www.linkedin.com/in/vonhaller • http://www.23hq.com/mhg • http://www.slideshare.net/vonhaller • http://www.facebook.com/vonhaller
Goal
F.U.D
FEAR
UNCERTAINTY
DOUBT
Open Source means
Business
Business model
3 questions in 20 minutes
#1 What is
distribution?
#2 Why does it
matter?
#3 Show me the
money!
Open source intro
All about licenses
Not contracts
Comply or
don’t use
4 freedoms (or license rights)
#1 Run the
object code
#2 Access
source code
#3 Modify the source code
#4 Make and
transfer copies
Also user restrictions!
These 4 rights are
yours…
…regardless of distribution
No distribution =
(almost) No restrictions
Distribution =
Restrictions
Copyright notice
preservation
License terms
preservation
Access to
source code
Your patents
are affected
Copyleft
Release your own modify
code…
…under the same license
Distribution =
Copyleft
Most open source
caselaw…
…involves distribution
Answer Question 2
Does distribution
matter in open source?
YES!
Most restrictions in OS licenses Presupposed Distribution
In particular, Copyleft
Question 1: What is
Distribution?
Answers in
Copyright law
Open Source licenses
US Copyright law
"distribute copies...of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending" (7 USC sec>on
106 (3))
Any transfer of a copy
Nordic Countries
(and the EU)
Any transfer of a copy
Exception: Private copies
Commercial and non Commercial
The text of the OS Licenses
US-centric by tradition
GPL v2
70%
“distribute”
“redistribute”
“physical act of transferring a
copy” (sec 1, 3rd paragraph)
BSD license “RedistribuAon”
MIT License
“Publish, distribute”
Apache License, Version 2.0
“reproduce and distribute
copies” (sec 4)
Eclipse Public License -‐ v 1.0
“publicly display, publicly perform, distribute” (Sec 2,
litra a)
Answer Question 1
What is distribution?
3 rules of thumb
#1 Physical copy
must be
transferred
#2 The transferee
must be
a third party
#3 No disAncAon
between commercial or
non-‐commercial
US vs. EU
All “public”
transfers are distribuAon
Some “private” transfers
may not be distribuAon
Grey areas
Employees
Never distribution
Freelancers vs. Contractors
A contractor is a third party
A physical copy of code is transferred
Internal servers
”Public” vs. ”Private”?
Subsidiaries
Third party
Joint ventures =
Distribution
100% owned subsidiaries
US: ”Unity of Ownership”
= Maybe not distribution
EU: ”Private” transfer
= Maybe not distribution
Outsourcing
Third party
A physical copy of the code is transferred
US: DistribuAon
EU: Probably a “private” transfer
M&A
Only assets, not share, sale
The acquiror is a third party
A physical copy is transferred
US: DistribuAon
EU: DistribuAon
Copyleft is triggered
Problem?
No!
GPL is a hereditary License!
Google?
Heavy user of Open source
software
Lots of modifications!
No access to
source code
ASP loophole
GPLv3: Network exception
Functionalities via
Network
Browser Internet
A physical copy of the code is not transferred
CopyleY is not triggered
Controversy!
Answer Question 3
Business?
Lawyers get paid to explain!
Dual licensing
The licensor’s free choice of
licenses
Choice #1 GPL
Copyleft
Hardware company uses
GPL’ed software
Makes modifications
into hardware
Wants to distribute
modifications
… but does not want to release source code!
Trade secrets
Choice #2
License with copyleft
exemption
…and with a license fee!
MySQL AB
Database software under GPL v2
”Commercial” license with no
copyleft
…and with warranties and
support
Sold to SUN in 2008
More than 1.000.000.000
USD!
All software open sourced!
Open source means
business!
Slides at www.slideshare.com/
vonhaller
Thank you!