Open Source Law, Policy and Practice

This book delivers an in-depth examination of the policy, legal, and commercial structures relating to the usage and exploitation of Open Source Software, enabling readers to understand the legal environment within which Open Source operates.

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Open Source Software has seen mass adoption in the last decade and potentially forms the majority of software today. It is realised through legal instruments, private law agreements, licences, governance, and community norms—all of which lead to the sharing of intellectual property and to economic and commercial disruption in technology.

Written by world leading Open Source and legal experts, this new edition of Open Source Law, Policy and Practice is fully updated with a global focus on technology and market changes over the last decade. The work delivers an in-depth examination of the community, legal, and commercial structures relating to the usage and exploitation of Open Source. This enables readers to understand the legal environment within which Open Source operates and what is required for its appropriate governance and curation in enterprise and the public sector. This is achieved by focusing on three main areas: intellectual property rights; the governance of Open Source; and the business and economic impacts.