Book details of 'Open Source Software Law (Artech House Telecommunications Library)'

Title	Open Source Software Law (Artech House Telecommunications Library)
Author(s)	Rod Dixon
ISBN	1580537197
Language	English
Published	December 2003
Publisher	Artech House Publishers

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The Virtual Bookcase Reviews of 'Open Source Software Law (Artech House Telecommunications Library)':

Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
Chapter one discusses the concept of open source software (and related terms such as free software, freeware, and so forth), as well as introducing some (though not all) of the major groups and players. The text points out the difficulties of finding specific definitions when dealing with a community and philosophy of this nature, and the material is indicative and possibly useful, but even so the explanations could be much clearer and less demanding of the reader. The philosophies (and factions) of the open source community are outlined in chapter two, as well as basic ideas such as copyleft. There is further delineation of the reasons behind open source, which does rather beg the question of why the topic wasn't dealt with better in the first place. An interesting section is the analysis of the purported "viral" effect of the General Public License (GPL), which some fear will dilute developers' rights. The issue of licensing, and the different types of licence models, is reviewed in chapter three. The material is detailed and the subject evaluated in depth, but, oddly, the chapter does not seem to clarify the issue as much as, say, Brian Behlendorf's article in "Open Sources" (see reviews). After an initially intriguing examination of the US "No Electronic Theft" act of 1997, and the implications for extending property considerations to information, chapter four turns into a meandering, and not altogether clear, editorial on the issue. Chapter five looks at electronic contracts, concentrating on E-Sign and UETA (Uniform Electronic Transaction Act) (governing the validity of digital agreements, with UETA having somewhat more consumer protection), and UCITA (Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act), which extends the rights of developers of software, including assumptions regarding contract formation. "Commercial Models," in chapter six, revisits the licensing debate: again, Behlendorf's article (noted above) seems to provide a superior appraisal. Due to ill-defining "open standards" as a confused amalgam of open source and open systems, Dixon's assessment of the impact on public policy is flawed, but chapter seven is mercifully brief. Chapter eight, as the third item on licensing, doesn't present many new ideas. While there are interesting and informative legal issues presented in this work, a great deal of it is a standard, and somewhat pedestrian, promotion of the open source movement. In addition, Dixon's writing is frequently verbose, turgid, and lacking in clarity. Given the able apologetics offered by "Open Sources" and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" (see reviews), the need for such a work is questionable. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2004
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