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Can an Open Source Project Be Acquired?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-just-don't-get-this-one dept.

prostoalex writes "Can an open source project be acquired? ZDNet's Between The Lines says yes, one just did. Software startup JasperSoft acquired Sourceforge-based project JasperReports, which involved acquiring the copyrights and hiring the lead developer for the project." I guess the point he tries to make is that the new corporate overloads can essentially have a free and non-free version of the code, and more or less orphan the free version. The problem of course is that if the non-free version gets good, others will simply fork.

2 of 336 comments (clear)

  1. Re:LOL by jusdisgi · · Score: 2, Funny

    AMD is German!

    Um, no.

    AMD is and always has been a U.S. corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA from the very first year of its existence. They do have a fab in Dresden, but that makes them German about as much as Nike's sweatshops make them Chinese.

    --
    Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
  2. Re:LOL by B'Trey · · Score: 1, Funny

    Haven't you heard? That's been modernized, renamed and re-released. It's now called The Dell Desktop With Intel Inside Running Windows XP That Wore Levis and Air Nikes, Brought To You By PepsiCo, Available at Amazon.Com.

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    "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.