Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS) includes elements of a legal definition, a software development methodology, and a social movement. Far from its early roots as a product for the highly technically inclined, F/OSS software products include the usability and power needed for the end user. Consequently, librarians need to be familiar with the licensing terms of F/OSS to assess the use of F/OSS for their own needs, the needs of providing library services using F/OSS, and the needs of patrons. This article presents a short history of the F/OSS concept, a presentation of certain key terms within F/OSS licenses, and a highlighting of common F/OSS licenses.
[1]
Martin Campbell-Kelly,et al.
Pragmatism, not ideology: Historical perspectives on IBM's adoption of open-source software
,
2009,
Inf. Econ. Policy.
[2]
Gabriella Coleman,et al.
CODE IS SPEECH: Legal Tinkering, Expertise, and Protest among Free and Open Source Software Developers
,
2009
.
[3]
Yulin Fang,et al.
Impact of license choice on Open Source Software development activity
,
2009,
J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..
[4]
Wei Gao,et al.
The State and Profile of Open Source Software Projects in health and medical informatics
,
2009,
Int. J. Medical Informatics.