[JDEV] FW: DoD Policy on Open Source

[Sameer Verma]

What's the source of this memo/document? Any references to the original?

-- 
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.
Asst. Professor of Information Systems
San Francisco State University
San Francisco CA 94132 USA
http://verma.sfsu.edu/ 



Tony Bamonti wrote:

>>DOD Memo on Open Source software issued last week.
>>
>>john
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>>Defense Department Issues Open Source Policy
>>By Thor Olavsrud <mailto:tolavsrud at jupitermedia.com>
>>June 3, 2003
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>>The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last week distributed a memo putting
>>open source software on a level playing field with proprietary software
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>when
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>>it comes to use within the department, though the memo also warned that
>>those using open source software (OSS) must comply with "lawful licensing
>>requirements" and be aware of what those licenses entail.
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>>The DoD is a user of both open source and proprietary software, ranging
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>from
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>>Linux and BSD on the open end, to Unices and Windows on the proprietary
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>end.
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>>The memo eases fears that the military might ban use of the GNU General
>>Public <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html#GPL>  License (GPL).
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>>Providing a description of open source licenses and licensing
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>requirements,
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>>including a specific focus on the GPL, the memo, written by John Stenbit,
>>chief information officer and assistant secretary for Command, Control,
>>Communications and Intelligence Defense Department, noted, "The Linux
>>operating system is an example of an operating system used in DoD that is
>>licensed under the GPL."
>>
>>Stenbit also used the memo to remind recipients that any "DoD Components"
>>who acquire, use or develop OSS must make sure that the software complies
>>with the same DoD policies governing Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) and
>>Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) software.
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>>"This includes, but is not limited to, the requirements that all
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>information
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>>assurance (IA) or IA-enabled IT hardware, firmware and software components
>>or products incorporated into DoD information systems, whether acquired or
>>originated within DoD: 1. Comply with the evaluation and
>><http://niap.nist.gov/niap/library/nstissp_11.pdf>  validation
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>requirements
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>>of National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security
>>Policy Number 11, and; 2. be configured in accordance with DoD-approved
>>security configuration guidelines available at http://iase.disa.mil/ and
>>http://www.nsa.gov/."
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>>Stenbit also urged anyone considering OSS within DoD to understand the
>>ramifications of its use. "DoD Components acquiring, using or developing
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>OSS
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>>must comply with all lawful licensing requirements," he said. "As
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>licensing
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>>provisions may be complex, the DoD Components are strongly encouraged to
>>consult their legal counsel to ensure that the legal implications of the
>>particular license are fully understood."
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>>Open source licenses often require modifiers and distributors of the code
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>to
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>>make their source code available, publish a copyright notice, place a
>>disclaimer of warranty on distributed copies and give recipients of the
>>program a copy of the license. The GPL, which governs the Linux open
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>source
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>>operating platform, is a particularly strict open source license which
>>requires anyone that distributes code they have modified to make the
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>source
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>>code available when distributing the original binary code or derivatives.
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>>------------- End Forwarded Message -------------
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