Basque Country Gov't Decrees State-Produced Software Should Be Open Sourced 38
New submitter lsatenstein writes with this snippet from The H:"The regional government of Spain's Basque Country has decreed that all software produced for Basque government agencies and public bodies should be open sourced. Joinup, the European Commission's open source web site, cites an article in Spanish newspaper El Pais [English translation], saying that the only exceptions will be software that directly affects state security and a handful of projects which are being conducted in conjunction with commercial software suppliers."
Europe, bad? (Score:2)
Now we wait, for people to say that the US is the land of the free; ignoring that these days the EU is doing way more for their citizens than the US. (Acta, Net Neutrality, and so forth)
Re:Europe, bad? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
Except this is already policy in the United States. All computer programs that are "works of the United States Government" enter the public domain upon publication.
maybe that was wishful thinking but then why is the Federal Reserve Bank/ US Treasury prosecuting and convicting people and getting them to admit to "theft" of public domain stuff (some accounting program)?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/29/usa-crime-fed-idUSL1E8GTBG120120529 [reuters.com]
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-18/man-said-to-be-charged-by-u-s-in-federal-government-computer-data-theft.html [bloomberg.com]
Re:Europe, bad? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Is it a program by a contractor, as opposed to one made by an employee of the Federal government while on duty? [wikipedia.org] Contract software is not (necesssarily) auto-PD, but the contract can require it to be copyleft free software, etc. [gnu.org]
Re: (Score:2)
I think quite a few of 3-letter agencies would beg to differ.
Re: (Score:3)
Unlikely, those never beg.
Re: (Score:3)
I think quite a few of 3-letter agencies would beg to differ.
The 3-letter agencies mostly likely put classification (confidential, secret, top secret) on their code which falls into the same category as the summary's the only exceptions will be software that directly affects state security .
No, most US funded software not OSS (Score:5, Informative)
No, you're completely wrong, this is not the current policy of the United Stated federal government.
It's true that when a US government employee develops software, as part of his official duties, it is not subject to copyright in the US (with a few tiny exceptions). But that doesn't mean it actually gets released to the public; in almost all cases it is never released to the public. (Sometimes it does, like expect and Security-Enhanced Linux, but most of the time it doesn't). Even more importantly: most software developed using government funding is developed by contractors, not by government employees, in in most cases the rule about government employees doesn't apply anyway.
For the details of when software funded by the US government can be released as OSS, see this:"Publicly Releasing Open Source Software Developed for the U.S. Government" by Dr. David A. Wheeler (me), Journal of Software Technology, February 2011, Vol. 14, Number 1 [thedacs.com].
Now it's true that a few small parts of the US government do have such a policy. In particular, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's source code policy does share the code with the public at no charge by default [consumerfinance.gov].
I do agree that when "we the people" pay for the development of software, then by default "we the people" should get it (unless there's a good reason for an exception, e.g., it's a classified weapon system). Sounds like a good idea. It's even a good idea for the government itself, because it will greatly enable competition for future work (building on past work) and reduce redevelopment (because it'll be easier to find previously-developed stuff). But that's something people need to press for... don't assume it's already happened.
Ask for "release government-funded software as OSS by default" - don't assume it's already happened.
Re: (Score:1, Informative)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ee.html
CIA Factbook
EU Economy
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$15.39 trillion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
(Hint: the last part is the important part. "country comparison to the world: 1" 1 means one. first.)
Re: (Score:1)
The EU is not a country. If it were a country and the members were states - the EU would be in a lot better shape than it is now.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The problem is when you get the worst of both worlds: the government does not help you and does not get out the way...
Re: (Score:2)
We wait mainly for the Basque government to change, now that their opposition is going to be so well-financed. I'm guessing there will also be a rash of media stories saying the Basque government is "anti-jobs" or "ineffective" or "anti-business".
The story is the same all over the world: You don't go against the Family (the "Family" being powerful corporations).
google for "open basque" (Score:5, Informative)
Everyone do a google image search for "Open Basque"...
That's what I call open sauce.
Re: (Score:2)
I tried it, but with my super-new opt-in no-porn super filter, I get a lolcat soaking up the rays.
Can't show a nipple in 'merica: causes rape, I hear.
cheers,
Re: (Score:1)
Note: 'merica gave you the choice to "opt in", and you took it.
You've nobody to blame but yourself, as per American freedom design.
Re: (Score:3)
Can't show a nipple in 'merica: causes rape, I hear.
Depending on where you are .. talking about nipples causes rape.
.. you have just raped several libraries of congress worth of people.
And given that your post is available to be seen all over the US of the greatest country Anywhere
Re: (Score:3)
I'll be in my bunk.
--
BMO
Re: (Score:2)
Look, Jayne, it's not that open.
Re: (Score:2)
Okay that was pretty f***ing funny.
I didn't know a basque is a kind of corset lingerie..!
License? (Score:1)
I wonder which license they'll use?
Hopefully they won't decide to go the route of the British government and make up their own (which is basically Apache but also, don't break UK law .. oh, wait, UK law already says don't break UK law).
I'm also a strong believer in at least minimal copylefting of Government source, or it's all too easy for the government to spend millions writing a piece of software and then have it sold back to them in a shrinkwrapped package.
Extremadura precedent (Score:3)
Maybe they can take a page out of Extremadura's experience [slashdot.org] in moving to Linux. And if they are moving to Debian, just adapt the Debian Free Software Guidelines. In fact, they, and other Spanish provinces, could use exactly what Extremadura is using, suitably altered to their own needs.
Actually, as I pointed out yesterday in the thread about US financial software whose source code was pilfered by a student, all governments should make their software GPL - ideally GPL3, so that it's there as a public use
Separatism to the end :) (Score:1)
Breaking news: In a unique twist, The Basque Separatists, in their newest push for the region's differentiation and autonomy, are declaring the need for open-sourcing the governmental software. Such ideas are almost universally looked down upon by most countries and their thriving government contractors and suppliers. Having apparently gained widespread influence over the lawmakers in the region, the push is a further step in furthering the separatist agenda.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Bad attempt at humor on my end is bad. News at 11. I love the idea of ETA pushing Win 8 w/o touchscreens :)