The Economics of Free and Open Source Software: Contributions to a Government Policy on Open Source Software

Marcel Boyer () and Jacques Robert ()

CIRANO Project Reports from CIRANO

Abstract: This document seeks to lay the groundwork for a government policy on free and open source software. We briefly characterize the extent of the open source software phenomenon. We analyse its pros and cons for the government, in its role as both an engine of economic development and a large user of information and communications technologies. We conclude with a series of recommendations for the government, as both “economic and industrial policy maker” and “large user.”

Keywords: free software; intellectual property rights; free source code; open source code; free operating system; GPL licence; BSD licence; innovation; forking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict, nep-ino and nep-net
Date: 2006-02-01
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cir:cirpro:2006rp-03

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