Week 10 / One Microsoft Way: the World of Proprietary Software

Topic 19
What could the software licensing landscape looks like in 2015? Write a short (blogged) predictive analysis.

There are few possibilities.

1* massive expansion of open source and domination of open source on market because
- it´s free - really big advantage
- also flexible
- on development can participate everyone, - specific type of crowd sourcing - so called world sourcing :).

2* Microsoft and similar producers of proprietary software would adapt for new situation and danger expanse of open source. They will start offer their software for free (but of course it still would not be free software) this new strategy help them to keep their Vendor lock-in advantage. But despite this new strategy free culture and free software will expand, much more slower then in first prediction but still.

"Give away technology in hopes of establishing a standard that you can control. Offer local pricing: Don't force people who make $1,000 a year to pay $250 for an office suite. Shift to a service/support model, and give your products away for free." (more)



3* Microsoft, wipo and other different corporations would bribe politics and they will adopt agreements like ACTA. It will cause stagnation of western civilization and progress of countries which are opposed the economical/political/power pressure of USA and western corporations.

"The Free Software Foundation has published "Speak out against ACTA", stating that the ACTA threatens free software by creating a culture "in which the freedom that is required to produce free software is seen as dangerous and threatening rather than creative, innovative, and exciting."[38] Specifically the FSF argues that ACTA will make it more difficult and expensive to distribute free software via file sharing and P2P technologies like BitTorrent, which are currently used to distribute large amounts of free software. The FSF also argues that ACTA will make it harder for users of free operating systems to play non-free media because DRM protected media would not be legally playable with free software.[38]" (wiki)

Most probably seems to me second scenario. But in light of latest negotiation about ACTA i am little bit afraid of possibility of realizing 3. scenario. We will see... but good luck will be essential.