Intellectual Property and Computer Software, a Battle of Competing Use and Access Visions for Countries of the South

This report was commissioned to examine a range of economic, political and developmental issues connected with the use and expansion of computer software in countries of the South. In particular, it examines the wider conceptual, economic and intellectual property law implications and practical consequences of the two main software formats: the still predominant proprietary format, best exemplified by the operating and application programs of Microsoft Corp. and the increasingly important open source and free software formats, grouped under the acronym, FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) The main question it attempts to analyse and answer is this: both in the short- and long-term, which format best meets the need of the less industrialised countries of the South? The principal conclusion drawn is that, for a wide range of reasons, free and open source software is the preferred alterative for countries of the South.