02.13.14

The Unethical Business of Semi ‘Open Source’ (Proprietary Disguised as Open)

Posted in Free/Libre Software at 11:37 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Examples of some bits of software that are not really FOSS but sure are (mis)using the “Open Source” brand

I RECENTLY had the horrible experience of spending weeks of my life wrestling with proprietary software that masquerades as “open” (for marketing). I needed to reverse-engineer some bits. A simple upgrade script, for example, is sold for just over $10,000. Without naming the company at hand, I only wish to say that fake ‘open source’ companies can be worse than proprietary because they use false marketing to seduce people and then act like predators. Over the past few weeks we have accumulated the articles below, highlighting what we believe to be fake ‘open source’ software and traps to watch out for. If we misclassified some of the examples below, then it simply means that the companies have done a terrible marketing job or are simply refusing to talk about freedom. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

Best Free Shopping Carts

The shopping cart software allows online shopping customers to accumulate a list of items for purchase, described metaphorically as “placing items in the shopping cart” or “add to cart”. Upon checkout, the software typically calculates a total for the order, including shipping and handling (i.e. postage and packing) charges and the associated taxes, as applicable.
A New Philosophy for opentaps

Make opentaps Benefit the Maximum Number of People
The Role of Open Source in Orchestration

The most challenging part of managing a complex IT infrastructure is not in the silos but the boundaries between those silos. Tools, processes, and even people have to be particularly flexible at the points where workflows intersect. And once these intersection points are codified (through tooling infrastructure, specific procedures, or training), they are exceedingly difficult to change.
How enterprises drive innovation through open source technologies

Conference to illustrate how businesses in the region can transform their IT infrastructures and drive strategic impact for their business through deployment of open source technologies.
Goldman Sachs, with 10,000 tech workers, embraces open systems

A surprising thing about Goldman Sachs, one of the globe’s most influential investment banks, may be the sheer size of its technology organization. It makes up a major part of its workforce.
OpenCRX: An open source Salesforce alternative

Which CRM tool is best for your business? While Salesforce has a smooth, attractive interface and is easier to use in almost every aspect, openCRX offers features Salesforce lacks, such as invoicing capabilities, CalDAV support, integration with any email client, and support for LibreOffice, and arranges its key functionality into a more logical tab hierarchy. Because it’s Java-based, openCRX can run on any Linux, Windows, or Mac OS server in your data center. And because it’s open source software, you can modify the application to customize it for your needs. Though Salesforce has a lot going in its favor, openCRX is worth evaluating for its unique strengths.
What to consider when transitioning your open source business to a revenue-based model
5 lessons for any open source business transitioning to a revenue-based model

In a recent article on Opensource.com, I introduced Data Geekery, the company behind jOOQ, and talked about the challenges we faced when transitioning our products from open source to a revenue-based business model last year. Our team learned a lot about running a business in general as well as making a big transition in our structure. Here, I’ll share the top 5 lessons we learned that every open source business making this kind of change should know.
Nuxeo Platform 5.9.1 Is Out
Pentaho launches open source community edition 5.0

Newest version of Pentaho’s open source data integration and business analytics platform
Sequenom Chose Open Source EDC System ClinCapture for Cost Efficiency and Team Commitment
Department for Business Innovation and Skills deploys open source electronic document management

Open source consultancy Zaizi has been brought in by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to deploy the Alfresco Collaboration and Records Management service.
What’s the problem with DevOps?

There’s a small problem with DevOps; for some at least… DevOps is just a bit too much Ops and not quite enough Dev.
Thales and MagTek Offer Open Source Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Solution for Independent Payment Gateways
Nginx Plus 2.0 Includes Improved Java Apps Support, Other Enhancements

With more than 120 million Websites now powered by the Nginx Web server, commercial efforts to bring more features continue to grow.

Share this post: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Permalink Mail Send this to a friend

If you liked this post, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or join us now at the IRC channels.

Pages that cross-reference this one

What Else is New

The Tide Has Turned Against the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and It Finally Looks as 'Alive' as TPP

The UPC is now stuck if not dead because officials are realising -- however belatedly -- that this entire charade was from start to finish just a coup d'état of the patent 'industry'
Potential Targets of European Patent Office (EPO) Whistleblowing

Priorities for whistleblowing at the European Patent Office (EPO), which operates secretly and occasionally illegally, too
Links 23/6/2017: Wine 2.11 Released, HPC Domination by GNU/Linux

Links for the day
Primer to the Crisis and Scandals at the European Patent Office (EPO)

An introduction to the chaotic state of what used to be the world's leading patent office and quickly became Europe's biggest embarrassment
Workers of the European Patent Office (EPO) Are Going on Strike Again, Almost 90% Voted in Favour

Thousands of brave EPO employees chose to cast a vote and make it known that they are in favour of another strike
Benoît Battistelli Has Lost the Election at the EPO

FFPE candidates (or moles from the yellow union) failed to enter the Central Staff Committee in spite of Battistelli's attempt to help them get in
Emerging Threat to Patent Reforms at the USPTO

Our plan of returning to coverage of US patent affairs in the wake of powerful lobbies that pursue patent maximalism
You Know That the Unitary Patent (UPC) is in Huge Peril When Its Biggest Fans Admit It's Unlikely to Happen Even Next Year

The tactics of Team UPC turn ugly as they personally target anyone who stands in their way, even a professor/judge who is courageous enough to state the obvious
More Than Six Human Casualties Under Battistelli at the EPO, But the Human Toll Can Become a Lot Worse

The bigger or much broader picture detailing the high cost of autocracy and mental torture at the EPO, where lives are ruined not only when these are ended and some key buildings pose severe threat to a lot of workers
EPO's Elodie Bergot Calls Staff Suicide Just 'Passing Away', Pretends to Care

How the EPO continues to mislead if not lie to staff, even when staff commits suicide -- a growing problem for Team Battistelli, whom some insiders hold accountable for these deaths
The Administrative Tribunal of ILO Will Deliver EPO Judgments in Six Days

Despite its old age (nearly a century), ILO's tradition when it comes to enforcing the law is anything but sterling, yet one can hope that it will stop its unproductive cat-and-mouse game with the EPO, where compliance is rare and actual judgments (not deferrals/referrals) are even rarer
Links 21/6/2017: Red Hat's Numbers Are Up, New Debian Being Studied

Links for the day
Another Suicide Reported at the EPO While the Paid-for Media Focuses on 'European Inventor Award' Charade

Puff pieces for Benoît Battistelli published aplenty while the European media refuses to deal with the reality -- not paid-for illusions -- at the European Patent Office
Links 20/6/2017: Chuwi Lapbook, Linux 4.12 RC6, Mesa 17.1.3

Links for the day
At the European Inventor Award Ceremony Benoît Battistelli Lied to a Lot of Scientists and “Media Partners” About the UPC

The Liar in Chief, Benoît Battistelli, still lives in a fantasy world or simply lies intentionally, which would be worse
Contact Details for the EPO's Administrative Council Delegations

List of Heads of Delegation and their E-mail addresses (used to be public information before Benoît Battistelli's oppressive regime or coup)
Don't Forget to Vote for EPO Strike This Week (Thursday)

A reminder that there's a vote on a strike at the European Patent Office later this week, giving an opportunity to rebut the "vocal minority" myth which Benoît Battistelli likes to spread
European Patent Office (EPO) Whistleblowing Guidelines: Motivation and Impact of Leaks

Advice on when to leak and what to leak for the desired effect, which is reformatory (though transparency and accountability)
Links 18/6/2017: New Debian Release, Catchup With a Lot of News

Links for the day
Appalling Press Coverage Regarding the Unitary Patent (UPC)

How the media has lied (and keeps lying) about the UPC, which the European public neither needs nor wants, putting aside serious constitutional issues that are associated with the UPC
The Writings on the Wall at the European Patent Office: Number of Directors May Soon Decline From 150 to Just 65-70

Battistelli is seizing more direct and indirect control over the European Patent Office (EPO), which is supposed to eject him with a proposal for replacement already formally prepared for publication
European Patent Office (EPO) Whistleblowing Guidelines

The first part of a series which offers tips for sending us material/evidence, specifically from the European Patent Office (EPO)
General Consultative Committee of the EPO Warns About Battistelli's Plans

The General Consultative Committee (GCC) issues a long document (176 pages) which explains to the overseer of the Office how internal rule changes make things even worse
Links 16/6/2017: New Atom Release, Firefox 55 Beta

Links for the day
Leaked: European Patent Office Still Uses Microsoft Windows XP... in 2017

The EPO continues to rely on inherently insecure (by design) platforms and Mr. Kraft, Battistelli's CIO, bragged that the actions of the Office "prevented any damage to the EPO and its reputation"
Unitary Patent (UPC) Will Start “Real Soon” Now... Said Team UPC For So Many Years

The Unitary Patent or Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) is going nowhere fast, but those who spent time and money promoting it for self gain continue to lie to the press with overly optimistic predictions, unrealistic timelines, and Kool-Aid about the supposed 'benefits' of the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
EPO Management Wastes Millions of Euros on a Silly, Gratuitous, Self-Serving Festival While EPO Staff is Planning Another Strike

Unrest at the European Patent Office (EPO) is growing again, with plans of a strike resulting in a formal vote for a strike next week
Links 15/6/2017: Mir 0.26.3, FreeNAS 11.0

Links for the day
Software Patents in Europe Are Still Promoted by the EPO, Even in Defiance of the Ban

The European Patent Office continues to ignore the directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, which had software patents disallowed with an overwhelming majority of 648 to 14 votes at the European Parliament
Leaked: Job Advertisement for Removing Battistelli From the European Patent Office

In spite of rumours that Benoît Battistelli would pursue elongation of his term, in clear defiance of the rules (again), paperwork is being put forth to replace him