Georg Greve´s presentation at the Library of the National Congress of Chile

1. Free Software in Government
Georg Greve
greve@fsfeurope.org
Free Software Foundation Europe
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 1

2. 0. Roadmap
Approaching the issues
1. Free Software Basics
2. Regulatory perspective
3. Economic perspective
4. Interoperability
5. Open Standards
6. History of an Open Standard
7. Government
8. Principles for Interoperability
9. Summary
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 2

3. 1. Free Software
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 3

4. 1. Free Software
Free for freedom, not price.
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 3

5. 1. Free Software
Free for freedom, not price.
1. Freedom: unlimited use, for any purpose
2. Freedom: study and modify
3. Freedom: copy / distribute
4. Freedom: distribute modifications
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 3

6. 1. Free Software
Free for freedom, not price.
1. Freedom: unlimited use, for any purpose
2. Freedom: study and modify
3. Freedom: copy / distribute
4. Freedom: distribute modifications
First publication: January 1989
From Copyright to Freedom:
Copyright allows licensing
licensing grants Freedom
GNU GPL, X11 License, BSD, MIT, ...
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 3

7. 1. Clarity matters
1983: Free Software
January 1989: ”four Freedoms”; DFSG (1997)
1992: Libre Software
European Context
1998: Open Source
Proposed marketing term for Free Software
200X: FOSS (”Free / Open Source Software”)
redundant, combines ambiguity
2003: FLOSS (”Free/Libre/Open Source”)
triple redundant, combines all ambiguities
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 4

8. 1. Clarity matters
1983: Free Software
IDENTICAL
January 1989: ”four Freedoms”; DFSG (1997)
1992: Libre Software
European Context
LICENCE
1998: Open Source
Proposed marketing term for Free Software
200X: FOSS (”Free / Open Source Software”)
BASE
redundant, combines ambiguity
2003: FLOSS (”Free/Libre/Open Source”)
triple redundant, combines all ambiguities
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 4

9. 1. Essential
Free Software = freedom to
use
study
modify
distribute
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 5

10. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

11. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Code & Law
are both regulators!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

12. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Code & Law
are both regulators!
Who owns your software?
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

13. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Code & Law
are both regulators!
Who owns your software?
Without software control, who controls the data?
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

14. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Code & Law
are both regulators!
Who owns your software?
Without software control, who controls the data?
What about the government?
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

15. 2. Regulatory perspective
Code shapes the physical laws of digital space
Code & Law
are both regulators!
Who owns your software?
Without software control, who controls the data?
What about the government?
Software is not policy neutral!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 6

16. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

17. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
2. five intermediaries
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

18. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
2. five intermediaries
3. proprietary software:
rewards lock-in through ”value-adding”
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

19. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
2. five intermediaries
3. proprietary software:
rewards lock-in through ”value-adding”
Proprietary model encourages monopolies,
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

20. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
2. five intermediaries
3. proprietary software:
rewards lock-in through ”value-adding”
Proprietary model encourages monopolies,
proliferating into the hardware domain
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

21. 3. Economic perspective
1. communication required
2. five intermediaries
3. proprietary software:
rewards lock-in through ”value-adding”
Proprietary model encourages monopolies,
proliferating into the hardware domain
Fraunhofer ISST study:
> 50% of German industry
> 80% of German exports
depend on ICT!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 7

22. 4. Interoperability
Interoperability is essential
”The ability of two or more systems or components
to exchange information and to use the information
that has been exchanged.” – IEEE
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 8

23. 4. Interoperability
Interoperability is essential
”The ability of two or more systems or components
to exchange information and to use the information
that has been exchanged.” – IEEE
European Interoperability Framework (EIF)
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3761
Interoperable Delivery of European eGovernment
Services to public Administrations, Businesses and
Citizens (IDABC)
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/
Free Software observatory to encourage the spread and use of
Best Practices in Europe
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 8

24. 5. Open Standards
EIF Open Standard Definition
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3761
The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a not-for-profit organisation, and its ongoing
development occurs on the basis of an open decision-making procedure available to all interested
parties (consensus or majority decision etc.).
The standard has been published and the standard specification document is available either freely
or at a nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy, distribute, and use it for no fee or at a
nominal fee.
The intellectual property - i.e. patents possibly present - of (parts of) the standard is made
irrevocably available on a royalty-free basis.
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 9

25. 5. Open Standards
EIF Open Standard Definition
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3761
The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a not-for-profit organisation, and its ongoing
development occurs on the basis of an open decision-making procedure available to all interested
parties (consensus or majority decision etc.).
The standard has been published and the standard specification document is available either freely
or at a nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy, distribute, and use it for no fee or at a
nominal fee.
The intellectual property - i.e. patents possibly present - of (parts of) the standard is made
irrevocably available on a royalty-free basis.
More standards = less competition!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 9

26. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

27. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

28. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
stops participating in standardisation
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

29. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
stops participating in standardisation
modifies protocol, claims ”IPR”
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

30. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
stops participating in standardisation
modifies protocol, claims ”IPR”
locks Novell out of the client by cryptography
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

31. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
stops participating in standardisation
modifies protocol, claims ”IPR”
locks Novell out of the client by cryptography
pushes desktop monopoly to server
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

32. 6. History of an Open Standard...
...from the Workgroup Server Market
Novell was the dominant player, so Microsoft
launches Open Standard effort around CIFS
gains foothold in the market
stops participating in standardisation
modifies protocol, claims ”IPR”
locks Novell out of the client by cryptography
pushes desktop monopoly to server
Result: EU antitrust case
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 10

33. 7. Government
Governments must be accessible to all, so
Governments using proprietary technology
lose control over decisions and data
spread monopoly at cost of local economy
force population into similar dependency
transfer economic power out of country
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 11

34. 7. Government
Governments must be accessible to all, so
Governments using proprietary technology
lose control over decisions and data
spread monopoly at cost of local economy
force population into similar dependency
transfer economic power out of country
Conflict:
It is the responsibility of governments
to protect freedom of competition!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 11

35. 8. Principles for Interoperability
Problems:
More standards mean less competition
Proprietary formats cause loss of data control
Format lock-in causes software lock-in
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 12

36. 8. Principles for Interoperability
Problems:
More standards mean less competition
Proprietary formats cause loss of data control
Format lock-in causes software lock-in
Solutions:
Choose only the most Open Standard per function
Mandate use of that Open Standard in government
Necessity to quantify the lock-in, e.g. Certified Open
Certification of interoperability
http://www.certifiedopen.com
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 12

37. 9. Summary
Interoperability
is essential to Free Competition
depends on Open Standards
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 13

38. 9. Summary
Interoperability
is essential to Free Competition
depends on Open Standards
Open Standards
need active work & maintenance
require vigilance against abuse
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 13

39. 9. Summary
Interoperability
is essential to Free Competition
depends on Open Standards
Open Standards
need active work & maintenance
require vigilance against abuse
Free Software != Open Standards
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 13

40. 9. Summary
Interoperability
is essential to Free Competition
depends on Open Standards
Open Standards
need active work & maintenance
require vigilance against abuse
Free Software != Open Standards
but is solves many of the difficult issues!
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 13

41. 9. Summary
Interoperability
is essential to Free Competition
depends on Open Standards
Open Standards
need active work & maintenance
require vigilance against abuse
Free Software != Open Standards
but is solves many of the difficult issues!
Ultimately, you want both.
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 13

42. Contact
Thank you for your attention!
Georg C. F. Greve <greve@fsfeurope.org>
FSFE, President
Free Software Foundation Europe
Sumatrastrasse 25
8006 Z¨rich
u
Switzerland
http://fsfeurope.org
Free Software in Government– 21 August 2007 – Library of Congress, Valparaiso, Chile – p. 14