"Open Source" indefensible: OSI aims and methods in conflict [LWN.net]

"Open Source" indefensible: OSI aims and methods in conflict

Posted Jun 28, 2007 11:28 UTC (Thu) by copsewood (subscriber, #199)
In reply to: "Open Source" indefensible by ncm
Parent article: Defending "open source"

I agree. There is a fundamental mismatch between the stated aim of OSI and their current methods. The stated aim of OSI is promoting software that meets a restatement of the FSF definitions of free software but in a business friendly manner (i.e. by avoiding ethical and political issues). But OSI getting themselves in a tangle concerning trademark registration of the term they wish to promote, and finding this term unenforceable is not businesslike. OSI, on belatedly discovering this, now turn to ethical persuasion, complaining that alleged misuse of the term "open source" is unethical and requesting community support. But requesting an ethically and community-based political campaign defeats the distinctiveness of the open source concept as a ethically neutral and politics-free promotional tool in the first place.

I therefore think this is time for a rethink about terms and definitions, and to consider whether or not the "open-source" term is worth the cost of trying to defend it. Those who would ask us to consider doing so should not imagine the value of the time and effort they are suggesting should be taken up by this project within the free software community in responding to their request for community pressure to be brought to bear adversely against alleged misusers of the "open source" term, to be free as in beer.

Taking out a trademark on a new term which captures the ethical and the business advantages of the FSF free software definitions could be a better way forward. So perhaps it is time to ditch "open source" in favour of the term "software libre" for this purpose. Once this is trademarked and the trademark held by an organisation in good standing, we then have the opportunity to promote this as something new, combining the sense of freedom with the practical and commercial benefits relating to a term that can be applied to FSF definition conforming products, and which can be legally enforced against fakes.

(Log in to post comments)