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 3.0http://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 ElsewhereRon Goldman & Richard P. Gabriel

Attracts Innovation outside of the Company

Comprehensive list of reasons to Open up the code

Case StudyVA 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 StudyVA Research / VA Linux

Developed SourceForge (Forerunner of Github)

Acquired Slashdot, Freshmeat, ThinkGeek, etc.

Case StudyVA 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 StudyWhat's Left?

Geeknet sold everything except ThinkGeek

Current Business Model Accessorizing?

General Copyrighted WorksCreative Commons

Attribution

Non-Commercial

No Derivative Works

Share Alike

Creative Commons6 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 modelsApplicable 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 StudyLittleBits

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 1Use

Software Use Binaries

Creative Commons Learn Attribution

Open Hardware Buy them

Step 2Learn

Learn History of the Movements

Learn Copyright

Learn Intellectual Property

Observe existing Projects

Step 3Open

Open part of the IP of your Organisation

!! Attract Innovation !!