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Library of Congress Explores Ways To Release OS Software

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the all-about-transparency dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Library of Congress has established an internal process to start creating more open source software which will make it easier for software developers and sponsors within the Library to produce software that can be freely redistributed to users worldwide. The Library has released some open source software to this point, concentrating on developing tools that support digital preservation processes, including the secure transfer of digital files. This includes the release of a full suite of digital content transfer tools that support the Bagit specification."

6 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. So.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Didn't RTFA, did you?

    BTW, They're designating the software created by staff as Public Domain in the comments, but in repositories that don't offer that category using the least restrictive category they provide, typically BSD.

    Publications of the US Government are typically in the public domain.

    I, for one, welcome our new code-sharing librarian overlords. For the most part code writ at taxpayer expence should be made available if possible so the taxpayers can use it for themselves - and other government agencies can as well without duplicating effort and expense.

  2. So what happens if... by starbugs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think this is great news, but what happens if inadvertently some of this software infringes on a patent or two?

    1. Re:So what happens if... by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think this is great news, but what happens if inadvertently some of this software infringes on a patent or two?

      The same thing that happens when any other open source infringes on a patent. Absolutely nothing unless or until the patent owner decides to sue somebody. There is no hole ripped in the space-time continuum, nobody is going to get arrested, nothing will self-destruct.

      BTW--The Library of Congress != USPTO. Copyrights are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and copies of the works are stored in the Library of Congress; Patents and Trademarks with the USPTO. There is no "office of intellectual property". Know why? Because, legally, there's no such thing.

      --
      My blog
    2. Re:So what happens if... by RoboRay · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Maybe somebody with pull will finally realize how stupid software patents are and get them abolished?

  3. Re:How many Libraries Of Congress... by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How many Libraries Of Congress will the source code amount to?

    One, by definition. This is going to be quite useful.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  4. Re:How many Libraries Of Congress... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No; but it hasn't often been the case, historically speaking, that you could store a LoC(or period equivalent big serious repository of knowledge) for the price of a not-especially-thrilling week's wage...