The Political Economy of Open-Source Software in the United Kingdom

The author examines how the growing challenge posed by open-source software to the proprietary business model that has hitherto dominated the market is being mediated in Britain through the intersection of government policy, private interests, and the institutional configuration of the state.

Abstract

The debate about the impact of information and communication technology has tended to focus on either its economic or its political aspects. The growing centrality of this technology to life in the 21st century, however, raises important questions about social ownership and control that necessitate a broader and more holistic analysis. Central to this issue is the growing challenge posed by open-source software to the proprietary business model that has hitherto dominated the market. The author examines how these developments are being mediated in Britain through the intersection of government policy, private interests, and the institutional configuration of the state.