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What is Copyleft? How it Relates to the Market Economy Driven by Proprietary Software

By Chiang Teck Meng (Jim).

Published by The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society

Copyleft is a general concept, and we cannot use a concept directly; we can only use certain specific manifestations of the concept. This paper is focused on the tripartite relationship evolving within the copyleft environment, in particular programmer monetary rewards and programmer employability. Richard Stallman, the originator of the copyleft concept, emphasises that software or programs have to be free for distribution and utilization. These conditions, sometimes derogatorily referred to as "viral" in nature, assure that a work is freely available, remains as such, and ensures the same conditions for any improvements or enhancements of the original. At this juncture, copyleft and copyright do pose certain legal arguments in terms of proprietary software. Nevertheless, these licenses represent a new conceptualization of development in the design and interpretation of intellectual property rights. In the market of digital information goods, this concept is competing with the traditional one, copyright. Both aim to solve a certain set of legal and socio–economic issues, namely the appropriation of economic benefits and the promise of a certain life expectancy to collectively created digital goods.

The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp.109-114. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 1.181MB).

Chiang Teck Meng (Jim)

Teaching Support Officer, Electronics Section, Info-Comm Technology, School of Electronics, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore