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The LaTeX project: A case study of open source software

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Author Info
Alex Gaudeul (University of East Anglia - Norwich)

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Abstract

The TeX typesetting software was developed by Donald E. Knuth in the late 1970s. It was released with an open source license and has become a reference in scientific publishing. TeX is now used to typeset and publish much of the world’s scientific literature in physics and mathematics. This case study serves as a critical examination of the stylized facts uncovered in previous studies of other open source software projects, such as GNU/Linux, an operating system, and Apache, a web server. It is sponsored by CNRS, a French research agency, and is supported by the University of Toulouse in France and the School of Information Management and Systems in Berkeley. The comparison centers on the historical development of the project, the organization, both formal and informal, that supports it, the motivations of the developers, and the various dynamics that are at work and influence the project. The case study explores the economic impact of the TeX software which is sold through TeX-based commercial applications and used in the typesetting industry and various institutions. It is an exploration of how the open source nature of the program made a di erence relative to what would have happened had it been commercial software.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by EconWPA in its series Industrial Organization with number 0409010.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length: 14 pages
Date of creation: 17 Sep 2004
Date of revision: 20 Apr 2005
Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpio:0409010

Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 14
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Web page: http://129.3.20.41

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Related research
Keywords: TeX open source Tug software case study innovation knowledge production licenses intellectual property open systems

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L - Industrial Organization

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Alexandre Gaudeul, 2004. "Open Source Software Development Patterns and License Terms," Industrial Organization 0409008, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  2. Josh Lerner & Jean Tirole, 2002. "The Scope of Open Source Licensing," NBER Working Papers 9363, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Josh Lerner & Jean Triole, 2000. "The Simple Economics of Open Source," NBER Working Papers 7600, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Alex Gaudeul, 2004. "The LaTeX project: A case study of open source software," Industrial Organization 0409010, EconWPA, revised 20 Apr 2005. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Varian, Hal R, 1993. "Economic Incentives in Software Design," Computational Economics, Springer, vol. 6(3-4), pages 201-17, November.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Alexandre Gaudeul, 2004. "Open Source Software Development Patterns and License Terms," Industrial Organization 0409008, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  2. Alex Gaudeul, 2007. "Do Open Source Developers Respond to Competition? The Case Study," Review of Network Economics, Concept Economics, vol. 6(2), pages 239-263, June. [Downloadable!]
  3. Alex Gaudeul, 2005. "Public provision of a private good: What is the point of the BSD license?," Industrial Organization 0511002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  4. Alexandre Gaudeul, 2004. "The LaTeX project: A case study of open-source software," Industrial Organization 0409009, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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