Be Innovative with Copyright
Introduction to Open Source
Business Models
Dr. Haggen So
Released under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong Licence
Dr. Haggen So
●
PhD Thesis on Free/Open Source Software
(FOSS)
●
Former Project Manager for Creative
Commons Hong Kong
●
Founder of Hong Kong Creative Open
Technology Association
Why Copyright & Licences?
!! No Legal Advice !!
Agenda
Sharing Economy
Intellectual Property & FOSS
Scope of Open Business Models
●
Software
●
General Copyrighted Works (CC)
●
Open Hardware
Conclusion
Sharing Economy
Uber – Redefining the Property
Boundary of Cars
Airbnb – Redefining the
Property Boundary of Home
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
Total control over Distribution of
Copies
Some Rights Reserved?
Intellectual Property
A Strange Concept
One is Physical,
Another One is Non-Material
and Non-Rival
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property
Trademark - Sign that distinguishes a Trader
Patent - protects an Invention → Function
Copyright - Rights over distribution of Copies
Richard M. Stallman
http://www.stallman.org/saintignucius.jpg, CC-BY-ND 3.0
General Public License (GPL)
• Software must be developed by a community
• Source Code must be shared
• Contract based on Copyright
• I gave up my rights, but you must share!
A Hack on Copyright
• Copyleft - All Rights Reversed
• Viral
• Restrictive
• Emphasis on Freedom of Users and
Community
Business Use
Employ Binaries
• 25% VM on Microsoft Azure runs Linux
• Avoid Vendor Locking-in
• Multiple Vendor investment
Business Use
Include Source Code
• Licences may require release of linked code
• Permissive Licenses
Permissive Licences
• Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) Licence
• Apache Licence
• Non-viral, Permissive - can close up one's own
copy
Free Software
Business Models for Programmers
• Programming as a Service
• Donation Model
• Crowdsourcing Model?
• Software Tax
Linus Torvalds and
the Penguin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Linus_Torvalds.jpeg, CC-
BY-SA 3.0
http://www.isc.tamu.edu/~lewing/linux/ using the GIMP
The Next Generation
• Linus Torvalds, a new comer, building upon the
Minix, provided an alternative kernel, Linux,
v0.01 release in 1992
• Linux was built upon the GNU project and
released under GPL
Eric Raymond
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esr.jpg
The Cathedral and the Bazaar
• Planned Economy vs the Market – 1997
• Coined the term "Open Source"
• Capitalistic Explanation/Branding
• 2nd
Follow-up Essay: The Magic Cauldron
Use-Value Funding Models
• The Apache Case: Cost-Sharing
• The Cisco Case: Risk-Spreading
Indirect Sale-Value Models
• Loss-Leader/Market Positioner
• Widget Frosting (Hardware Manufacturer)
• Give Away the Recipe, Open a Restaurant
(Red Hat)
• Accessorizing
• Free the Future, Sell the Present
Innovation Happens Elsewhere
Ron Goldman & Richard P. Gabriel
• Attracts Innovation outside of the Company
• Comprehensive list of reasons to Open up the cod
Case Study
VA Research / VA Linux
• VA Research / VA Linux – PC with pre-installed
Linux
• VA Linux (NASDAQ:LNUX) offered at $30,
highest at $320, first day closed at $239.25
Dot com Boom
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LNUX.png
Case Study
VA Research / VA Linux
• Developed SourceForge (Forerunner of Github)
• Acquired Slashdot, Freshmeat, ThinkGeek, etc.
Case Study
VA Software / SourceForge
• VA Software / SourceForge - Quit Hardware
• SourceForge as the most well-known product
→ SourceForge Enterprise Edition
• SourceForge Enterprise Edition eventually sold
to Collab.Net
Case Study
What's Left?
• Geeknet – sold everything except ThinkGeek
• Current Business Model – Accessorizing?
General Copyrighted Works
Creative Commons
Attribution 署名
Non-Commercial 非商業性
No Derivative Works 禁止衍生
Share Alike 相同方式共享
Creative Commons
6 Licenses
Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives
(by-nc-nd)
Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike
(by-nc-sa)
Attribution Non-commercial
(by-nc)
Attribution No Derivatives
(by-nd)
Attribution Share Alike
(by-sa)
Attribution
(by)
Are FOSS models
Applicable to Broader Context?
• Yochai Benkler, "The Wealth of Networks: How
Social Production Transforms Markets and
Freedom"
• Social Production conditions: Modularity and
Granularity
CC Open Business Models
Open Hardware
Beyond Copyright
If the copyright of
the detail drawings
of hardware is Open...
IP Revisit
Trademark - sign that distinguishes a Trader
Patent - protects an invention → Function
Copyright - Rights over distribution of Copies
Case Study
LittleBits
• Electronic building blocks
• Snap together with magnets
• Learn Electronics easily
What parts of littleBits
products aren't Open Source?
Trademark – "LittleBits" & Logos, etc.
Patent - magnetic connectors and system of
electrical circuits
Copyright – Open up circuit design in between the
magnetic connectors
Step 1
Use
• Software – Use Binaries
• Creative Commons – Learn Attribution
• Open Hardware – Buy them
Step 2
Learn
• Learn History of the Movements
• Learn Copyright
• Learn Intellectual Property
• Observe existing Projects
Step 3
Open
• Open part of the IP of your Organisation
• !! Attract Innovation !!

Be Innovative with Copyright - Introduction to Open Source Business Models