Linux and Main: Lock In Software

“In July last year the author wrote a paper which argued that
the total cost of ownership of free software would, in the long
run, always be lower than that of equivalent software created under
different models. One of the problems we grappled with when writing
that paper was how to name those different models. At the time we
adopted a term which appeared to be used widely, that of
‘proprietary software.’ We now believe our (and others’) use of
that term is not only inaccurate, but plain wrong and ought to be
changed. In this paper we set out reasons and propose an
alternative, more appropriate, term–‘lock in software.’ Other
terms, including hostageware, are identified, but not adopted.

“In the free software debate there appear to be three terms
which set demarcation boundaries within the software pantheon.
Those terms are ‘free software,’ ‘open source software’ and
‘proprietary software.’ Of each of these the terms both ‘free
software’ and ‘open source software’ have clear, defined meanings.
However the term ‘proprietary software’ seems to be defined by
exclusion–it is commonly used to apply to software which isn’t
free and isn’t open source. The concept of property stands on
hallowed ground in most western political systems. By implication
the terminology as currently used allows vendors threatened by
market competition from free software to cloud the issues by
painting their competitors as somehow being anti-property, and
therefore evil…”

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