[ubuntu-uk] Open Source Procurement Toolkit

[Chris Rowson]

I thought some of you might be interested in this recent guidance released
by the Cabinet Office on Open Source Software:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/open-source-procurement-toolkit

It's publicly accessible so you don't need a .gov.uk address to get access,
and it might be helpful to any of you wanting to work with government
organisations to provide services.

The 'All About Open Source' document is particularly interesting because it
explains why UK.gov can't mandate Open Source software. It's not entirely
straight forward; I'm not entirely sure, but I think it means to say that
UK.gov considers 'Open Source' a product (perhaps like Microsoft) rather
than a feature and so that mandating a specific product is a breach on
antitrust law? Thoughts?

The UK Government"s interpretation of European procurement legislation
> would deem the mandating of open source as a breach of antitrust law. This
> rests on the current interpretation of whether open source is a product or
> a feature. European countries, such as Italy, interpret open source as a
> feature rather than a product.
> This means that preference for open source is simply preference for a
> legal feature of a product and, in stating this preference, no commercial
> vendor has been inappropriately favoured or disfavoured.


Anyway, let me know what you think.

Chris
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