A decentralized open source community can produce a bevy of valuable software, but can it contend with the pressing security issues of today. The political economy of open source software part i core. Ultimately the success of open source is a political. Weber explains the political and economic dynamics of this mysterious but important market development. View citations in econpapers track citations by rss feed. His research, teaching, and advisory work focus on the political economy of knowledgeintensive industries, with special attention to health care, information technology, software, and global political economy issues. He has also authored numerous articles in academic and popular publications about international political economy, globalization, emerging security. Political economy i political science mit opencourseware. Steven weber is professor at the school of information and department of political science at uc berkeley. The open source community is guided by standards, rules, decisionmaking procedures, and sanctioning mechanisms. His research, teaching, and advisory work focus on the political economy of knowledgeintensive industries, with special attention to health care, information technology, software, and global political economy issues relating to competitiveness. Open source is a more socially responsible business model, leading to greater equity between producers and consumers, capital and labor, rich and poor. Weber 2004 book, the success of open source, is the leading study of the political economy of the open source software community.
In the world of opensource software, true believers can be a fervent bunch. His best known book, the success of open source, was one of the first extensive studies of how the open source software community works. Steven weber is professor of political science and professor of the information school at uc berkeley. Steven weber carnegie council for ethics in international. A professor of political science affiliated also with the uc berkeley school of information, steven weber is an expert in international and national security. The political economy of open source software part i. Perhaps his most wellknown book is the success of open source, on the economy and motivations behind open source and free software. His research, teaching, and advisory work focus on the political economy of knowledgeintensive industries, with special attention to. Steven weber university of california, berkeley, ca. Starting from social, political, and economical views, steven weber dissects the open source movement from a nondeveloper perspective. Weber works at the intersection of technology markets, intellectual property regimes, and international politics. Stephen s cohen, john zysman and bradford j delong 1999. Data, development, and growth volume 19 issue 3 steven weber. The political economy of open source software core.
The open source community and their philosophy of volunteer programmers creating better software is begining to overshadow the profit driven business model subscribed to by microsoft and other giants in the software industry. Weber, steve the political economy of open source software open source is a work style that is completely unorthodox to how the world, works. It allows free redistribution of the software without royalties or licensing fees to the author it requires that source code be distributed with the software or otherwise made available for no more than the cost of distribution it allows anyone to modify the software or derive. The open source software movement has begun to radically change computing, the internet and the world. Free and opensource software foss is an umbrella term for software that is simultaneously considered both free software and opensource software. Ucais berkeley roundtable on the international economy, working paper series from ucais berkeley roundtable on the international economy, uc berkeley. But there is much substance beyond zealotry, says steven weber, the author of the success of open source an opensource operating system offers its source code up to be played with, extended. An opensource operating system offers its source code up to be played with, extended. Steven weber professor, uc berkeley school of information. Computercentered networks and technologies are reshaping social relations and constituting new social domains on a global scale, from virtually borderless electronic markets and internetbased largescale conversations to worldwide open source software development communities, transnational corporate production systems, and the global knowledgearenas associated with ngo networks. Steven weber professor, uc berkeley school of information and department of political science his research, teaching, and advisory work for the last decade have focused on the political economy of knowledgeintensive industries, with special attention to health care, information technology, software, and global political economy issues relating.
Ucais berkeley roundtable on the international economy. An open source operating system offers its source code up to be played with, extended. In the world of open source software, true believers can be a fervent bunch. Can a decentralized open source community properly address. The success of open source is a story about software. Actually it includes marketbased model for research of the effects of tobin tax. Apr 30, 2004 the open source software movement has begun to radically change computing, the internet and the world. The final part of the final chapter is about generalizing open source. The conclusion suggests that the opensource development model is suited to disciplines besides software development. Professor weber s areas of special interest include international political economy, political and social change in the information intensive economy, and the political economy of globalization with special attention to knowledge intensive industries software, pharmaceuticals. The open source definition has three essential features. D in political science from stanford university he is the author of several books about international politics and economics. Open source code does not obliterate profit, capitalism or the general concept of intellectual property rights.
He goes beyond describing not only the origins and organization of the movement but also describing business models and roles that companies have been adopting to support and work with open source software. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Oct 31, 2005 in spite of the conventional wisdom that innovation is driven by the promise of individual and corporate wealth, steven weber argues, ensuring the free distribution of code among computer programmers can create a more effective process for developing intellectual products. Weber sees the central issues raised by open source software as property, motivation, organisation and governance. Weber argues that the success of open source is not a freakish exception to economic principles and explains the. His research, teaching, and advisory work for the last decade have focused on the political economy of knowledge intensive industries, with special attention to health care, information technology, software, and global political economy issues relating to competitiveness. Foss free and opensource software allows the user to inspect the source code and provides a high level of control of the softwares functions compared to proprietary software. But the most significant growth in crossborder flows now comes in the form of data. Open source software is distributed with its source code. Nov 08, 2018 steven weber is professor of political science and professor of the information school at uc berkeley.
He uses a study of the open source movement to illuminate the motivation of programmers and the way open source software projects are coordinated and governed, and to ask if there are lessons in it for society. Economic development and growth theory have long grappled with the consequences of crossborder flows of goods, services, ideas, and people. Open source is an experiment in building a political economy that is, a system of sustainable value creation and a set of governance mechanisms. His research, teaching, and advisory work focus on the political economy of knowledge intensive industries, with special attention to health care, information technology, software, and global political economy. Political economy library is a set of classes and accompanied tools for simulation of economy based on employment by companies, production of goods and consumption epc model. Steven weber is a professor at the uc berkeley school of information, and the faculty director of the uc berkeley center for longterm cybersecurity. To submit an update or takedown request for this paper, please submit an updatecorrectionremoval request.
Steven weber university of california, berkeley, ca ucb. Professor webers areas of special interest include international political economy, political and social change in the information intensive economy, and the political economy of globalization with special attention to knowledge intensive industries software, pharmaceuticals. Steven weber he works at the intersection of technology markets, intellectual property regimes, and international politics. The political economy of open source software steven weber, june 2000 an article outlining the development of linux from a politicalscience perspective. Steven weber is a professor at the school of information and the department of political science at the university of. Sorry, we are unable to provide the full text but you may find it at the following locations. You cant control what you cant produce competitively. I then put forward a different argument which takes better account of unique characteristics of the political economy that emerges at the intersection of data, machine learning, and the platform firms that use them. How to organize a global enterprise 2019, explains how economic geography is evolving around machine learning and the consequences for multinational organizations in the.
Companies and individuals are creating intellectual products and making money from open source software code, inventing new business models and notions about property along the way. Steven weber is a specialist in international relations with expertise in international and national security. Steven weber is a professor at the school of information and the department of political science at the university of california, berkeley. Weber argues that the success of open source is not a freakish exception to economic principles and explains the political. David megias the success of open source, by steven weber. The political economy of open source software steven weber. Political economy i explores the major social science paradigms for analyzing relations among state, economy, and society. Foss free and open source software allows the user to inspect the source code and provides a high level of control of the software s functions compared to proprietary software. He is also the editor of globalization and the european political economy columbia university press, 2000. Steven weber works at the intersection of technology markets, intellectual property regimes, and international politics. In this case it is a governance system that hold together a community of producers around this counterintuitive notion of property rights as distribution. Weber s major publications include the success of open source, cooperation and discord in u. Conversely, arguments for the benefits of nonexclusionary property rights over productive knowledge have been able to find compelling support in the evolution of opensource software. Steven weber appointed associate dean and head of school uc.
In spite of the conventional wisdom that innovation is driven by the promise of individual and corporate wealth, steven weber argues, ensuring the free distribution of code among computer programmers can create a more effective process for developing intellectual products. Linux, for example, may act as a credo as well as an operating system. Weber argues that the success of open source is not a freakish exception to economic principles. But there is much substance beyond zealotry, says steven weber, the author of the success of open source.
He works at the intersection of technology markets, intellectual property regimes, and international politics. Dec 29, 2017 a decentralized open source community can produce a bevy of valuable software, but can it contend with the pressing security issues of today. The term free software does not refer to the monetary cost of the. His research, teaching, and advisory work focus on the political economy of. Steven weber agenda contributor world economic forum. And it would still have significant implications for economic growth and development. Free and open source software foss is an umbrella term for software that is simultaneously considered both free software and open source software. The political economy of open source software steven weber 2000. Soviet arms control, and the edited book globalization and the european political economy. Data, development, and growth business and politics.
Steven weber is a specialist in international relations and interntional political economy with expertise in international and national security. In the book the success of open source steven weber analyses the factors for success in the model for development of free the free software foundation and open source open source initiative software in an unfavourable political and economic context. Steven weber appointed associate dean and head of school. Jentleson at duke and james goldgeier, dean of sis at american university, weber directs the new era. The political economy of open source software part i by editorial board, hometown outsourcing, wayne wolf and steven weber. He is also the faculty director of the center for long term cybersecurity, a largescale multidisciplinary research program on emerging. View citations in econpapers track citations by rss feed downloads. He is also the faculty director of the center for long term cybersecurity, a largescale multidisciplinary research program on emerging cybersecurity issues at the intersection of new technologies, human behavior, and risk calculations made by firms and governments. Corporate strategy lessons from the trade disaster. He directs the center for long term cybersecurity, a largescale multidisciplinary research program on emerging. The politics of trade and environment in the united states david vogel. Adding up pieces of these characterizations results in some lavish claims about the significance of the open source phenomenon. Sep 22, 2015 open source software is distributed with its source code.