Government Policy toward Open Source Software

By Robert William Hahn

Can open source software--software that is usually available without charge and that individuals are free to modify--survive against the fierce competition of proprietary software, such as Microsoft Windows? Should the government intervene on its behalf? This book addresses a host of issues raised by the rapid growth of open source software, including government subsidies for research and development, government procurement policy, and patent and copyright policy. Contributors offer diverse perspectives on a phenomenon that has become a lightning rod for controversy in the field of information technology. Contributors include James Bessen (Research on Innovation), David S. Evans (National Economic Research Associates), Lawrence Lessig (Stanford University), Bradford L. Smith (Microsoft Corporation), and Robert W. Hahn (director, AEI-Brookings Joint Center).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815733933
• ISBN13: 9780815733935
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.5" x 8.7"