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The Status of Open Source for 5G
2. OPEN SOURCE (OS) MODEL
In actuality, open source existed in the beginning of the computing industry, as the original computer
operating software and compilers in the 1950s and 1960s were delivered as a part of hardware purchases
without separate fees. At the time, source code, the human-readable form of software, was generally
distributed with the software providing the ability to fix bugs or add new functions. Universities were early
adopters of computing technology. Many of the modifications developed by universities were openly shared,
in keeping with the academic principles of sharing knowledge, and organizations sprung up to facilitate
sharing. As large-scale operating systems matured, fewer organizations allowed modifications to the
operating software, and eventually such operating systems were closed to modification.
2.1 WHAT IS OPEN SOURCE?
The term “open source” refers to something people can share, modify and use via an openly available
design. Open source, as applied to software, permits sharing via inspection, copying, learning, altering or
distribution. Code or binary distribution may be permitted, depending upon the software license. Software
licenses, which must be accepted by users, usually dictate how attribution of the work and the license are
distributed with the software.
Software labelled as open source may be licensed under an Open Source Initiative (OSI)- approved license
or a bespoke license that is developed by a project to meet the objectives of Open Source, while preserving
compatibility with the project’s specific needs and policies. OSI-approved licenses follow the Open Source
Definition (OSD), which provides 10 criteria
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that must be met. Open source software can be used for any
commercial purpose, but the copyright holder cannot restrict how it is used or who can use it. Open Source
is a generally loose term, but for the purpose of this document we define Open Source as following the
Open Source Definition.
Software alteration is permitted, but the license may require those alterations to be shared in some manner.
“Copyleft”
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licenses permit alteration (therefore, the creation of a derivative, under the condition that they
use the same license as the original).
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Although many copyleft licenses are open source, not all open
source licenses are copyleft.
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In such cases, the non-copyleft license permits software released under the
original license to be used as a part of works that may be under different licenses. These licenses may
even be proprietary (“non-open source” or “closed source”), which is controlled by the copyright holders of
the combined work.
Some license types refer to a specific combination of sharing, modification and usage. For example, a
“permissive” license is a term applied to one that grants freedom to use, alter and redistribute while
permitting derivative works that may be proprietary. On the other hand, copyleft only affects how derivative
works are licensed, and the original license may not follow a specific type.
Open source, as applied to hardware, refers to design specifications of a physical object that are licensed
in a manner that the object and associated specification can be modified, studied, produced or distributed.
Section 2.1 is a heavily condensed version of the concepts presented at https://opensource.org/faq
and
https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source.
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https://opensource.org/osd-annotated
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https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html
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What is "copyleft"? Is it the same as "open source”? https://opensource.org/faq#osd. May 15, 2018.