This repository is a collection of research, and a resultant whitepaper, about delayed open source publication (DOSP): the practice of publishing a software release under a proprietary license initially, then later publishing that release's source code under an open source license. (This is often, but not always, done in a predictable fashion: e.g., when release N goes out under a proprietary license, release N-1 is then (re)published under an open source license.)

There are examples of DOSP across the history of open source -- in fact, some of the examples (e.g., Aladdin Ghostscript) predate the coining of the term "open source". We looked at various instances of DOSP and examined how they are alike or different. We also analyzed the effects (if any) of DOSP on open source as a field. Our purpose was to provide accurate historical description and objective analysis; our work here represents no position on the desirability or undesirability of delayed open source publication.

This research was supported by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). The report is now completed and published at opensource.org/delayed-open-source-publication.

Contacting us

You can email us at dosp-research {_AT_} opensource.org or file a ticket to contact us. While we occasionally indulge in light maintenance and error correction in the LaTeX source, that's infrequent and done entirely at our discretion. We may prepare an updated second edition some day; if you're interested in being involved in that, please let us know.

Building the whitepaper PDF from LaTeX source

To build the whitepaper from LaTeX source, use OTS DocTools.