Copyright or copyleft?: An analysis of property regimes for software development

Two property regimes for software development may be distinguished. Within corporations, on the one hand, a Private Regime obtains which excludes all outsiders from access to a firm's software assets. It is shown how the protective instruments of secrecy and both copyright and patent have been strengthened considerably during the last two decades. On the other, a Public Regime among hackers may be distinguished, initiated by individuals, organizations or firms, in which source code is freely exchanged. It is argued that copyright is put to novel use here: claiming their rights, authors write ‘open source licenses’ that allow public usage of the code, while at the same time regulating the inclusion of users. A ‘regulated commons’ is created. The analysis focuses successively on the most important open source licenses to emerge, the problem of possible incompatibility between them (especially as far as the dominant General Public License is concerned), and the fragmentation into several user communities that may result.     

高校职务发明专利权归属问题研究

随着高校科技创新能力的不断增强,保护高校自主知识产权问题日益引起人们的关注.在陕西高校科技创新过程中,专利权归属问题是造成权利纠纷和影响科技创新的一个重要因素.针对我国职务发明法律规定的不足,对完善陕西高校职务发明权专利权归属问题提出建议.     

Building tribal communities in the collaborative economy: an innovation framework

In recent years, there has been a groundswell of initiatives aimed at providing platforms to share resources among people. Collaborative consumption provides a model for a ‘sharing economy’ where the dominant logic of consumers is resource access rather than ownership. This study examines the nature and development of a variety of collaborative consumption businesses; in particular, we explore how start-up entrepreneurs see the problems of creating a tribal community among customers and users. Interviews were carried out with founders and co-founders of collaborative consumption ventures during 2014–15. The results suggest that these organisations face many common issues. We develop and apply a framework to understand some of these. We find that collaborative consumption entrepreneurs strive to build a tribal community by matching, in an innovative way, supply and demand. This is typically done by co-creating shared commonality, developing scalable electronic platforms, and building trust into platforms using social media to develop proxy social capital. Consequently, by using existing ecosystems of social media, tribal communities can be formed and scaled much more quickly than via traditional marketing approaches.     

The interaction effects of online reviews and free samples on consumers’ downloads: An empirical analysis

Consumers’ software purchase decisions are influenced both by online reviews and by their experiences with free samples provided by firms. This paper empirically investigates the differential effects of online reviews (user and editor ratings) on consumers’ sample downloading behavior, using a dataset drawn from a large software free sampling website CNET.com. Our findings extend the previous research by suggesting that information disclosure levels of free samples (indicated by licenses) moderates the impacts of online reviews on consumers’ sample downloads. For samples that disclose a great level of information, higher user ratings can increase downloads; otherwise, higher user ratings fail to increase downloads. When both user and editor ratings are available to consumers, only user ratings can increase sample downloads. The findings can be explained by consumers’ two-stage information process whereby consumers first refer to online reviews and then determine whether to sample software. This study provides practical implications on the design of information disclosure channel and offers suggestions for firms regarding how to select and apply sample licenses.     

Semantic network analysis for understanding user experiences of bipolar and depressive disorders on Reddit

People who are suspected to suffer mental disorders often explore online communities to gather medical information. Such medical information benefits these people by facilitating self-diagnosis and social support for the mental disorders. At the same time, however, misinformation can aggravate mental disorders and worsen psychological status. Focusing on two representative mental illnesses, bipolar and depressive disorders, this study analyzed how users shared their experiences with illness and provided advice. Postings for bipolar and depressive disorders were gathered from subreddit communities and used for semantic network analysis. Results showed that users in both communities described sleep disorder episodes and financial problems with negative emotional expressions. Users in the bipolar disorder community showed more interest in the topic of medication, whereas users in the depressive disorder community were more interested in suicide issues. We discuss how these properties in the subreddit communities can be applied to understand user experiences of bipolar and depressive disorders.     

A man on the inside: Unlocking communities as complementary assets

Since Teece's seminal paper explaining who were the gainers from technological innovation, increased globalization and the information and communication technology revolution have brought new ways for firms to organize and appropriate from innovation. A new more open model of innovation suggests that firms can benefit from sources of innovation that stem from outside the firm. The central theme of this paper is how firms try to unlock communities as complementary assets. These communities exist outside firm boundaries beyond ownership or hierarchical control. Because of practices developed by communities to protect their work, firms need to assign individuals to work in these communities in order to gain access to developments and, to an extent, influence the direction of the community. Using network analysis we show that some software firms sponsor individuals to act strategically within a free and open source software (FOSS) community. Firm sponsored individuals interact with more individuals than interact with them, and also they seek to interact with central individuals in the community. However, we can see differences in how individuals interact, depending on whether their affiliation is with a dedicated FOSS firm or an incumbent in the software industry. Apparently, some firm managers believe they need ‘a man on the inside’ to be able to gain access to communities.     

试论小产权房的合法化

本文分别从经济学和法学的角度,对我国的农村集体土地所有权进行了分析,为我国农村集体土地所有权制度的改革,为小产权房的合法化找到了相同的出路：确立农用地的国家所有权和农村建设用地的农民私人所有权。     

Open source software development—Just another case of collective invention?

Do open source software (OSS) projects represent a new innovation model? Under what conditions can it be employed in other contexts? “Collective invention” regimes usually ended when a dominant design emerged. This is not the case with OSS. Firstly, the OSS community developed the institutional innovation of OSS licenses enabling OSS software to survive as a common property. Secondly, these licenses are mainly enforced by pro-socially motivated contributors. We characterize the conditions under which OSS communities develop and sustain pro-social commitments. We point out the vulnerability of these conditions to developments in patent legislation.     

基于有机系统观的物流组织思想、原则和实践

借助一个力本论分析框架，从有机系统的角度，在认识物流组织思想的目的论和本体论的基本原则的同时，来阐述物流组织的思想、原则与其实践之间的内在关系。并且在说明物流组织当今正经历变化的同时，来考察这些变化在不同的思想体系中将如何看待。结论是，组织有必要提高应付组织变化的能力，这种能力的提高是通过把新式理论和实践相结合的办法用在组织的原有思想中实现的。     

开源软件的许可证浅析

开放源代码软件存在着众多类型的授权许可,不同的授权许可对于开放源代码软件的使用、修改和发布有着不同的约束.本文从常见的开源软件的许可证出发,对比分析了与商业软件许可证的不同,提出在运用开源软件时应规避的风险.     

我国科技成果权属改革的历史逻辑?从所有制、科技成果所有权到知识产权

赋予科研人员科技成果所有权或长期使用权,是当前中央推动市场机制在配置创新资源中充分发挥决定性作用的关键性改革探索。由于我国经济体制的公有制性质,如何有效处理国家、集体与个人的关系必然成为我国科技成果权属制度改革的核心问题。文章通过回溯新中国成立后我国科技成果权属的制度变迁与改革历程,从改革逻辑中厘清科技成果公有制、科技成果所有权与知识产权对于科技成果权属改革制度的意义,尝试探寻科技成果权属制度的改革经验和制度规律,凝聚推动当前新一轮科技成果权属改革的观念共识。     

On the meaning of free software

To many who develop and use free software, the GNU General Public License represents an embodiment of the meaning of free software. In this paper we examine the definition and meaning of free software in the context of three events surrounding the GNU General Public License. We use a case involving the GPU software project to establish the importance of Freedom 0 in the meaning of free software. We analyze version 3 of the GNU General Public License and conclude that although a credible case can be made that the added restrictions are consistent with the definition of free software, the case requires subtle arguments. Strong arguments against the added restrictions are less subtle, and may therefore be more convincing to many users and developers. We also analyze the Affero General Public License and conclude that it is inconsistent with the definition of free software.     

基于最优委托权安排模型的职务科技成果混合所有制研究

在职务科技成果权属混合所有制改革深入推进的背景下,通过构建职务科技成果产权分配模型,分析科研单位与科研人员在职务科技成果转化中的双向委托-代理关系,研究职务科技成果混合所有制是否能够有效促进科技成果转化、产权比例如何分配且受何因素影响等问题。通过研究发现：在没有相互监督的情况下,职务科技成果混合所有制对科技成果转化有积极作用,且职务科技成果最优产权分配比例与科研单位和科研人员在职务科技成果转化过程中的作用大小有关;当科研单位与科研人员之间的相互监督较强时,会改变职务科技成果最优产权分配比例。     

基于质量、生产能力及创新的价值战略

本文主要讨论了价值的三个方面,即价值是从三个方面来定义的:质量、生产能力和创新。本文的框架为价值战略的制定提供了以下几个方面的基础:哪儿提供价值,如何提供价值,以及企业在支持这些意愿、确定机构间的差距和制定详细的行动计划等方面的设计。     

Privacy,speech, and values: what we have no business knowing

In the United States the ascendancy of speech protection is due to an expansive and unjustified view of the value or primacy of free expression and access to information. This is perhaps understandable, given that privacy has been understood as a mere interest, whereas speech rights have been seen as more fundamental. I have argued elsewhere that the “mere interest” view of privacy is false. Privacy, properly defined, is a necessary condition for human well-being or flourishing. The opening section of this article will provide an overview of this theory. Next, after a few remarks on speech absolutism, privacy absolutism, and balancing theories, I will sketch several of the dominant argument strands that have been offered in support of presumptively weighty speech rights. While these arguments, taken together, establish that free speech is important, they do not support the view that speech should nearly always trump privacy. In final section I will present and defend a way to balance free speech and privacy claims.     

财务冗余、制度环境与中小企业研发投资

以中小板上市公司为样本,对企业财务冗余与研发投资的关系以及制度环境对两者关系的调节效应进行了检验,实证结果显示:总体上来说,样本企业财务冗余是促进研发投资支出的;两者的关系受到企业所有权结构的影响,企业家族成员持股比例、机构投资者持股比例正向调节了财务冗余与研发投资的关系,外资持股比例、国有持股比例则不利于企业的财务冗余资源流向研发投资活动;另外环境的动态性正向调节了财务冗余与研发投资的关系。     

‘Libre’ software: turning fads into institutions?

The article presents an economic analysis of Libre software and of its sustainability as a new economic model for software. We underline the role of Libre software development communities and analyze incentives for both kernel and obscure developers. We emphasize the role of the so-called ‘public’ licenses to provide an appropriate institutional framework. We show that several features of Libre software also allow it to improve faster than proprietary software, and therefore to achieve strong market performance when competing against existing standards, even when proprietary software producers react. We illustrate our point using a simple local and global interaction model to study the technological competition between Linux and Windows on the server operating system (OS) market. We finally argue that if sufficient initial momentum could be created through public intervention Libre software could turn from a fad into an efficient economic institution to correct inefficiencies due to network externalities.     

建立开放式标准,共建共享开放的信息资源平台

开放源程序为软件设计提供了更多的机会和便利条件。开放式项目成功与否取决于对软件目标观察的透明度和基本功能的相关定义，这项非常重要的定义工作常常通过开放式标准来开展的。开放式标准制定与完善，与所有以互联网为技术平台相关行业的发展前景密切相关。因此，本文论述了完善规范开放式标准重要性，以及图书信息行业积极参与相关标准制定的迫切性。     

政府补贴、两权分离与企业技术创新

技术创新文献对政府补贴究竟是激励效应还是挤出效应尚无定论。本文结合资源基础理论和委托代理理论提出了一个权变的观点,即认为政府补贴能否有效地促进企业的技术创新在很大程度上取决于企业能否处理好两个层面的委托代理关系:一方面是企业管理层和企业股东之间的利益冲突(所有权与管理权的两权分离);另一方面是企业控股股东和中小股东之间的利益冲突(现金流权与控制权的两权分离)。本文对2008-2011年在沪深两市上市的电子、制药和信息企业创新绩效(运用随机效应负二项回归模型)进行分析后发现:第一,企业获得的政府补贴与其技术创新绩效之间不存在显著的正相关关系;第二,企业CEO两职合一、控股股东所有权和控制权的两权分离对政府补贴和技术创新绩效之间的关系起到负向的调节作用。本文的研究结果对政府的研发补贴政策和企业的治理结构调整具有一定的理论指导意义。