Open Source Alternative

Heather J. Meeker is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the United States. Heather has provided open source counseling to clients ranging from technology startups using open source in product development, to public technology companies conducting open source code releases, to venture capitalists assessing new business models in the software industry. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, is a member of the American Law Institute, and in 2005, was selected by the Daily Journal as one of the top thirty intellectual property lawyers in California.

• Preface ixPart one Leveraging opportunities 1Chapter 1 Introduction: How UNIX Gave Birth to Linux, and a New Software Paradigm 3In the Beginning Was the Word, and the Word Was UNIX 3Along Comes Linux 6Now, What is Open Source? 7And This is Just the Beginning 9Chapter 2 Free Software and Open Source 11Viruses and Freedoms 11Philosophy of Free Software 13Open Source Initiative 18Mozilla Foundation 18Linus Torvalds 19Definitions: Free Software and Open Source 21What’s in a Name? The Viral and the Nonviral 22Open Source Development Model 25Chapter 3 Common Open Source Licenses and Their Structure 27Direct Licensing 29GPL 29GPL + Exception (or Special Exception) 39GPL + FLOSS Exception 40LGPL 40Corporate Hereditary Software Licenses 41Other Hereditary Software Licenses 43Permissive Licenses 43Apache 1.0 46Apache 1.1 46Apache 2.0 46Artistic License 46Miscellaneous Licenses 47Non-Software Licenses 49Chapter 4 Due Diligence, License Proliferation, and Compatibility 53What is the Problem with Combining Software? 53What is Due Diligence? 54License Conditions and Diligence Problems 57License Compatibility 59Choices in an Incompatible World 62An Embarrassment of Riches? 66Reusability 69Chapter 5 Audits and Compliance Initiatives 71Provenance and Objective Checking 72Applying Policy and Legal Review 74Some Nuts and Bolts 76Chapter 6 Notice Requirements 83Chapter 7 Patents and Open Source 89Patent Debate 89Patent Portfolio Management 98Chapter 8 Trademarks and Open Source 109Trademark Law and Open Source Licensing 109Trademarks in the Open Source World 111AT&T UNIX Battle 112Chapter 9 Open Source and Open Standards 115Chapter 10 Developing a Corporate Open Source Policy 119Appendix 10A Open Source Corporate Policy 123Chapter 11 Open Source Code Releases 135Choosing a License 136Effect on Patent Portfolio 139Effect on Trademarks 140Open Source Business Models 142Dual Licensing 143“Ur-Licensor” and Open Source Decision Models 146Contribution Agreements 146Reissuing Code 150Corporate Organization 150Appendix 11A Open Source Trademark Policy 153Part two Understanding risks 159Chapter 12 Technical Background: Operating System Kernels, User Space, and Elements of Programming 161What is the difference Between an Application and an Operating System? 163What is an Operating System Kernel? 164What is an Application? 165Dynamic and Static Linking, and Inline Code 166Header Files 169Monoliths and Loadable Kernel Modules 170Chapter 13 Enforcement of Open Source Licenses 171Past Enforcement 171Enforcement Obstacles 176Lack of Track Record: GPL Has Never Been Tested in Court 176Waiver/Estoppel: Occasional and Selective Enforcement of GPL Means it is Unenforceable 177Formation: GPL is Not Validly Accepted by Licensees 177GPL Constitutes Copyright Misuse 178Joint Work Arguments 179Standing and Joinder Arguments 180Chapter 14 The Border Dispute of GPL2 183Defining the Border Dispute 183What the GPL Says 184Rules of Contract Construction 186Applying the Four Corners Rule to GPL2 188Applying the Rules of Contract Construction of GPL2 190Trade Usage and Other Extrinsic Evidence 191Derivative Works Question 192The Facts 195Legal Rules 196Analyzing the Case of Two Works 200Is the Result One or Two Works? 205Policy Arguments 206Non-U.S. Law Interpretations 207Approach of Legal Realism 208Outside the Four Corners 209Loadable Kernel Modules 212The Hardest Cases 216LGPL Compliance 217Chapter 15 License or Contract? 223Contract Formation 223Arguments Supporting Formation 225Implications of Absence of Contract Formation 226Incentives for Formation Arguments 229Chapter 16 Defining Distribution 233Chapter 17 Open Source in Mergers and Acquisitions and Other Transactions 237Open Source in Licensing and Commercial Transactions 241Development Agreements 242Chapter 18 GPL Version 3.0 245What is the Effect of the Release of GPL3? 245Adoption of GPL3 247Politics and Context 248“Derivative Works” Problem 251“Propagation” and “Conveying” 252Patents 252Digital Millennium Copyright Act Provisions 255“Java Problem” 257Disabling and Obfuscation 257ASP Problem 258License Compatibility 259Chapter 19 LGPL Version 3.0 261New Approach for LGPL 261Adoption of LGPL3 261Politics and Context 262Definitions 262Compliance 262Drawbacks 264Appendix A Open Source Development Agreement 265Glossary 277Index 283

"In her book, Heather Meeker does a good job describing the "border dispute" of the Copyleft provision in the GPL" (ccsblog, March 16th, 2009) "So I would say, this is the book to read, for a good account of the legal aspects surrounding open source." (dw2-o.com, 7/6/08)