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Dual licensing in open source software markets

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  • Stefano Comino
  • Fabio M. Manenti

Abstract

Dual licensing has proved to be a sustainable business model for various commercial software vendors employing open source strategies. In this paper we study the main characteristics of dual licensing and under which conditions it represents a profitable commercial strategy. We show that dual licensing is a form of versioning, whereby the software vendor uses the open source licensing terms in order to induce commercial customers to select the proprietary version of the software. Furthermore, we show that the software vendor prefers dual licensing to a fully proprietary strategy when the customers are very sensitive to the reciprocal terms of the open source license.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Comino & Fabio M. Manenti, 2007. "Dual licensing in open source software markets," Department of Economics Working Papers 0718, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.
    • Handle: RePEc:trn:utwpde:0718
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Josh Lerner, 2005. "The Scope of Open Source Licensing," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 20-56, April.
    2. Comino, Stefano & Manenti, Fabio M. & Parisi, Maria Laura, 2007. "From planning to mature: On the success of open source projects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 1575-1586, December.
    3. Justin Pappas Johnson, 2002. "Open Source Software: Private Provision of a Public Good," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(4), pages 637-662, December.
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    6. Stefano Comino & Fabio M. Manenti & Maria Laura Parisi, 2005. "From Planning to Mature: on the Determinants of Open Source Take Off," Department of Economics Working Papers 0517, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.
    7. Koski, Heli, 2007. "Private-collective Software Business Models: Cordinatitons and Commercialization via Licensing," Discussion Papers 1091, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    8. Paul Belleflamme, 2005. "Versioning in the Information Economy: Theory and Applications," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 51(2-3), pages 329-358.
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    12. Mikko Mustonen, 2005. "When Does a Firm Support Substitute Open Source Programming?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 121-139, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Darmon & Dominique Torre, 2010. "Open source, dual licensing and software compétition," Post-Print halshs-00497623, HAL.
    2. Engelhardt, Sebastian v. & Freytag, Andreas, 2013. "Institutions, culture, and open source," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 90-110.
    3. Thomas Le Texier & Mourad Zeroukhi, 2015. "How Can Proprietary Software Firms Take Advantage Over Open Source Communities? Another Story of Pro?fitable Piracy," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 201503, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    4. Stefano Comino & Fabio Maria Manenti, 2015. "Intellectual Property and Innovation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)," JRC Research Reports JRC97541, Joint Research Centre.
    5. Ginchev Ivan, 2008. "Optimality conditions for scalar and vector optimization problems with quasiconvex inequality constraints," Economics and Quantitative Methods qf0805, Department of Economics, University of Insubria.
    6. Stefano Colombo & Luca Grilli & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra, 2014. "Network Externalities, Incumbent’s Competitive Advantage and the Degree of Openness of Software Start-Ups," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 44(2), pages 175-200, August.
    7. Atal Vidya & Shankar Kameshwari, 2015. "Developers’ Incentives and Open-Source Software Licensing: GPL vs BSD," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(3), pages 1381-1416, July.
    8. Robert M. Chiles & Garrett Broad & Mark Gagnon & Nicole Negowetti & Leland Glenna & Megan A. M. Griffin & Lina Tami-Barrera & Siena Baker & Kelly Beck, 2021. "Democratizing ownership and participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution: challenges and opportunities in cellular agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(4), pages 943-961, December.
    9. German Lambardi, 2009. "Software Innovation and the Open Source threat," Working Papers 09-15, NET Institute, revised Sep 2009.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Open source software; dual licensing; copyright; versioning; forking.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L17 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Open Source Products and Markets
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • D45 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Rationing; Licensing

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