Re: [JDEV] FW: DoD Policy on Open Source

[Sameer Verma]

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

   

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Defense Department Issues Open Source Policy
By Thor Olavsrud <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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.

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