[JDEV] FW: DoD Policy on Open Source

[Tony Bamonti]

It was forwarded to me from a contact at Sun.......from the context of the
message, I interpreted as being quite authentic.

/tb

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sameer Verma [mailto:sverma at sfsu.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 12:10 PM
> To: jdev at jabber.org
> Subject: Re: [JDEV] FW: DoD Policy on Open Source
> 
> 
> 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
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >-------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------
> >-
> >  
> >
> >>Defense Department Issues Open Source Policy
> >>By Thor Olavsrud <mailto:tolavsrud at jupitermedia.com>
> >>June 3, 2003
> >>
> >>The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last week distributed 
> a memo putting
> >>open source software on a level playing field with 
> proprietary software
> >>    
> >>
> >when
> >  
> >
> >>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.
> >>
> >>The DoD is a user of both open source and proprietary 
> software, ranging
> >>    
> >>
> >from
> >  
> >
> >>Linux and BSD on the open end, to Unices and Windows on the 
> proprietary
> >>    
> >>
> >end.
> >  
> >
> >>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).
> >>
> >>Providing a description of open source licenses and licensing
> >>    
> >>
> >requirements,
> >  
> >
> >>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.
> >>
> >>"This includes, but is not limited to, the requirements that all
> >>    
> >>
> >information
> >  
> >
> >>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
> >>    
> >>
> >requirements
> >  
> >
> >>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/."
> >>
> >>Stenbit also urged anyone considering OSS within DoD to 
> understand the
> >>ramifications of its use. "DoD Components acquiring, using 
> or developing
> >>    
> >>
> >OSS
> >  
> >
> >>must comply with all lawful licensing requirements," he said. "As
> >>    
> >>
> >licensing
> >  
> >
> >>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."
> >>
> >>Open source licenses often require modifiers and 
> distributors of the code
> >>    
> >>
> >to
> >  
> >
> >>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
> >>    
> >>
> >source
> >  
> >
> >>operating platform, is a particularly strict open source 
> license which
> >>requires anyone that distributes code they have modified to make the
> >>    
> >>
> >source
> >  
> >
> >>code available when distributing the original binary code 
> or derivatives.
> >>
> >>------------- End Forwarded Message -------------
> >>    
> >>
> >_______________________________________________
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> >jdev at jabber.org
> >http://mailman.jabber.org/listinfo/jdev
> >  
> >
> 
> 
> 
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