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Open Source Software: The New Intellectual Property Paradigm
Stephen M. Maurer
University of California, Berkeley
Suzanne Scotchmer
University of California - Department of Economics ; School of Law, University of California, Berkeley; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
April 2006
NBER Working Paper No. w12148
Abstract:
Open source methods for creating software rely on developers who voluntarily reveal code in the expectation that other developers will reciprocate. Open source incentives are distinct from earlier uses of intellectual property, leading to different types of inefficiencies and different biases in R&D investment. Open source style of software development remedies a defect of intellectual property protection, namely, that it does not generally require or encourage disclosure of source code. We review a considerable body of survey evidence and theory that seeks to explain why developers participate in open source collaborations instead of keeping their code proprietary, and evaluates the extent to which open source may improve welfare compared to proprietary development.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 37
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Date posted: May 18, 2006
Suggested CitationMaurer, Stephen M. and Scotchmer, Suzanne, Open Source Software: The New Intellectual Property Paradigm (April 2006). NBER Working Paper No. w12148. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=896220
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