FW: [Ossi] DISA to open source administrative software

[wtfpl user]

2009/3/17 David Woolley <forums at david-woolley.me.uk>:
> wtfpl user wrote:
>
>>
>> Note, too, that any enhancements to Free/Open Source Software (FOSS)
>> by DISA employees (but not DISA contractors) would be in the public
>> domain because of 17 USC 105.  So it can be used by anybody without
>> regard to the OSL/AFL (any version) because it is in the public
>> domain.
>
> Whilst the enhancements may be in the public domain, they are of little use
> without the code they enhance, which would still be under the original
> copyrights.

To repeat:

In the 108th Congress, there was an effort (H.R. 2613) to extend that
to works produced under government contracts. "Copyright protection
under this title is not available for any work produced pursuant to
scientific research substantially funded by the Federal Government
..." The idea behind the legislation was to make medical research
reports more generally available.

It is interesting to ponder what that might do to FOSS written in
universities under federal grants and contracts.  But to the best of
my knowledge, there was no recognition of that problem by any of the
FOSS people.