A TAXONOMY OF CLOSED AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY BUSINESS MODELS

Thomas A. Hemphill ()
Additional contact information
Thomas A. Hemphill: School of Management, University of Michigan-Flint, 3139 WSWBldg, Flint, Michigan, 48502-1950, USA

International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), 2006, vol. 03, issue 01, 61-82

Abstract: This paper explores the closed source/open source software model dialectic and presents a conceptual framework of an emerging "both source" software business model useful for formulating firm technology strategy. The author reviews the academic literature and popular business press, extracting definitions and concepts underlying these software models; explains the concept of a business model and makes the case for the knowledge-based view of the firm as the approach to software industry business model development; describes, in detail, the proprietary, open source and "both source" software models; identifies the primary motivations behind the managerial development and adoption of the "both source" business software model (cost containment) and the implementation challenges firm's face (an upsurge in copyright and patent infringement suits concerning adoption of open source code); and concludes with a series of research questions pertaining to the economic viability of open source license business models, the effectiveness of indemnification strategies against copyright and patent infringement, and the managerial motivations behind choosing patent over copyright protection of software inventions.

Keywords: Open source; closed source; business model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219877006000661
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wsi:ijitmx:v:03:y:2006:i:01:n:s0219877006000661

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from

DOI: 10.1142/S0219877006000661

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM) is currently edited by H K Tang

More articles in International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM) from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tai Tone Lim ().