The Free and Open Source Software(FOSS) e-discussion, is being launched to debate on Policy and Development Implications of using FOSS and to build wider consensus on FOSS as an innovative Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) framework, which can be used to stretch the development dollar and dramatically scale up the impact of various interventions.
This forum is a joint initiative of Bridges.org, (Cape Town, South Africa); Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), (Nairobi, Kenya); OneWorld South Asia (OWSA), (New Delhi, India); UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network (IOSN), (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP/UNDP), (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
The issues being considered central to this debate are:
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Opportunities and drawbacks of FOSS for developing countries – the roles of government, civil society, business in the process.
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FOSS & Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – stretching the development dollar for scaling-up impact.
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The global Intellectual Property Concern - Business monopoly of first world nations software giants versus third world collaborative efforts.
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Enabling legal/regulatory/policy framework for country specific strategic evolution FOSS.
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Open-source processes outside the software sector – Free Medicine, Seed Bank, Open Access, Open Archiving etc.
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Comparison of proprietary software vis-à-vis FOSS in terms of technical merits –reliability, stability, and vulnerabilities, especially in the context of national ecurity.
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FOSS versus Public Domain Software and Freeware – the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of FOSS.
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Understanding why individuals contribute to FOSS projects and what motivates FOSS developers to "donate" their time and are these motivations different in developed and developing countries? Are there constraints, especially in developing countries, that could be addressed by government or private sector interventions?
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