‘Default’ open-source licensing plans under fire

Software developed by public bodies should be released under open-source licences, says the government, in a document that has spooked proprietary
software vendors.

Proprietary software companies reacted sharply on Wednesday to plans by the UK government to enforce stricter rules on the use of their software,
particularly where there is a potential for lock-in or where there is an open source alternative.

In a draft consultation document published on Tuesday, the office of the e-envoy sent its clearest signal yet to government departments that they
should pay more attention to open source. The guidelines say that departments should consider open-source software alongside proprietary software in
IT procurements and award contracts on a value-for-money basis — a measure bound to rankle with proprietary software vendors, who increasingly find
it difficult to compete against open-source software in terms of value-for-money.