The Social and Economical Impact of OSS in Developing Countries

Computing practices in developing countries can be complex. At the same time, open source software (OSS) impacts developing countries in various ways. This chapter examines the social and economic impacts of OSS on three such nations: China, South Korea, and India. In so doing, the chapter discusses and analyzes benefi ts as well as downsides of the social, political, and fi nancial impacts on these developing countries. Topics covered in this chapter are piracy, software licensing, software initiatives, social and political components involved in OSS implementation, and software compatibility issues.