Open Source Software: Private Provision of a Public Good

Justin Pappas Johnson

Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 2002, vol. 11, issue 4, 637-662

Abstract: A simple model of open source software (as typified by the GNU‐Linux operating system) is presented. Individual user‐programmers decide whether to invest their own effort to develop a software enhancement that will become a public good if so developed. The effect of changing the population size of user‐programmers is considered; finite and asymptotic results are given. Welfare results are presented. It is shown that whether development will increase when applications have a modular structure depends on whether the developer base exceeds a critical size. Potential explanations of several stylized facts are given, including why certain useful programs don't get written.

Date: 2002
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