From:	Nate Eldredge <neldredge AT hmc DOT edu>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: Borland C++ compiler free!
Date:	21 Feb 2000 12:53:26 -0800
Organization:	InterWorld Communications
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"Marcus" <mesthlm AT hem DOT passagen DOT se> writes:

> Hi!
> > newbie question: What is open source exactly?
> I don't know about the "support for open source" but real open source means
> that the program is given away with open source without any copyright. Also
> called PD, Public Domain.

This is not true by most extant definitions of "open source".  The
self-proclaimed "Open Source Definition" seems to be commonly
accepted; it can be found at http://www.opensource.org/osd.html .
Basically, it says that the source code must be included, and one must
be able to redistribute or modify it (while keeping it under the same
license).  Copyright is quite definitely permitted.  Everything
licensed under the GNU General Public License (which is almost
universally accepted as Open Source) is copyrighted, but users are
granted the right to use it freely.  Ironically, without copyright, a
program would probably cease to be open source, as proprietary
software houses could take it, soup it up, and sell it without source.

-- 

Nate Eldredge
neldredge AT hmc DOT edu

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