NASA Open Source Agreement
Encyclopedia
The NASA Open Source Agreement (NOSA) is an OSI
-approved software license. The United States
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA
) releases some software (such as NASA World Wind
) under this license. The NOSA allows NASA to increase software quality and accelerate development by involving a broader community in code review and contribution. It is also hoped that open sourced NASA software will maximize awareness and impact of NASA research, particularly in support of NASA's education mission.
Publication of open source software fits in with Agency functions outlined under the National Aeronautics and Space Act
, that is, to "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof."
The NASA Open Source Agreement was accepted as an open source license. The Free Software Foundation
, however, raises issue with the following clause:
The FSF states that “free software development depends on combining code from third parties”, and because of this requirement that changes be your “original creation” the license is not a free software licence
.
Open Source Initiative
The Open Source Initiative is an organization dedicated to promoting open source software.The organization was founded in February 1998, by Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond, prompted by Netscape Communications Corporation publishing the source code for its flagship Netscape Communicator product...
-approved software license. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
) releases some software (such as NASA World Wind
NASA World Wind
World Wind is an open-source virtual globe developed by NASA and the open source community for use on personal computers. Old versions need Microsoft Windows but the more recent Java version, , is cross platform and provides a suite of . The World Wind Java version was awarded in November 2009...
) under this license. The NOSA allows NASA to increase software quality and accelerate development by involving a broader community in code review and contribution. It is also hoped that open sourced NASA software will maximize awareness and impact of NASA research, particularly in support of NASA's education mission.
Publication of open source software fits in with Agency functions outlined under the National Aeronautics and Space Act
National Aeronautics and Space Act
The National Aeronautics and Space Act is the United States federal statute that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration . The Act, which followed close on the heels of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, was drafted by the United States House Select Committee on Astronautics...
, that is, to "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof."
The NASA Open Source Agreement was accepted as an open source license. The Free Software Foundation
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
, however, raises issue with the following clause:
G. Each Contributor represents that its Modification is believed
to be Contributor's original creation and does not violate any
existing agreements, regulations, statutes or rules, and further that
Contributor has sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this
Agreement.
The FSF states that “free software development depends on combining code from third parties”, and because of this requirement that changes be your “original creation” the license is not a free software licence
Free software licence
A free software licence is a software licence which grants recipients rights to modify and redistribute the software, which would otherwise be prohibited by copyright law. A free software licence grants, to the recipients, freedoms in the form of permissions to modify or distribute copyrighted work...
.
See also
- Permissive and copyleft licences
- Glossary of legal terms in technology
- List of software licenses