ABSTRACT
Open source software has long formed the backbone of the software industry. But while open source culture is at the core of the software industry, recent developments in software copyright law surrounding the copyrightability of software interfaces and fair use demonstrate that its legal grounding remains tenuous.
This article tracks the history of the Unix operating system family and its influence on the development of software’s open source culture. It argues that the unique legal circumstances that allowed Unix to flourish provide important lessons for how a software copyright regime ought to be constructed. The article concludes that congressional copyright reform is needed to protect open source culture and the social and economic benefits thereof.
Surani, Faiz, The Parable of Unix (February 12, 2021).
First posted 2022-04-27 12:00:33
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