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Incorporating the Commons: a Political Economic Analysis

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Incorporating the Commons: a Political Economic Analysis INCORPORATING THE COMMONS: A POLITICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT IN FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE by BENJAMIN J. BIRKINBINE A DISSERTATION Presented to the School of Journalism and Communication and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2014 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Benjamin J. Birkinbine Title: Incorporating the Commons: A Political Economic Analysis of Corporate Involvement in Free and Open Source Software This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the School of Journalism and Communication by: Dr. Janet Wasko Chairperson Dr. Biswarup Sen Core Member Dr. Gabriela Martinez Core Member Eric Priest, J.D. Institutional Representative and J. Andrew Berglund Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded September 2014 ii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Benjamin J. Birkinbine Doctor of Philosophy School of Journalism and Communication September 2014 Title: Incorporating the Commons: A Political Economic Analysis of Corporate Involvement in Free and Open Source Software Free (libre) and open source software (FLOSS) emerged in the 1980s as a radical alternative to proprietary software. Fighting back against what FLOSS enthusiasts viewed as overly restrictive intellectual property protections placed on proprietary software, FLOSS was designed with the intent of granting users the right to study, modify, adapt, or otherwise tinker with the source code of software. As such, FLOSS users were able to collaborate in producing software that could be distributed freely and widely to others, who could, in turn, make changes to the software. As FLOSS projects grew in popularity, the productive process was spread throughout a broad network of distributed users, all of whom could work on the code. The result of this process was the creation of robust, effective, and efficient forms of software that could compete with those offered by large software companies. Increasingly, however, some of those large software companies became involved in the development of FLOSS projects. On its face, this may seem to be a contradiction of interests. Why would a for-profit company invest in the development of software that is made freely available for others to use? This is the contradiction that lies at the heart of this research project. More specifically, this project looks at the dynamics that exist iv between communities of FLOSS developers and the corporations that are involved in or make use of their projects. Working from a critical political economy perspective, this study complicates theories of the commons and commons-based peer production by illustrating how FLOSS processes and products are being incorporated into broader corporate structures and strategies. The three case studies presented – Red Hat, Microsoft, and Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems – exemplify different elements of this dynamic. Red Hat provides an example of how a company that relies exclusively on free software can be turned into a profitable business. The Microsoft case demonstrates why the company has undergone a transition from vehement opposition to FLOSS toward a more supportive position. Finally, Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems demonstrates how FLOSS communities cope with changing ownership structures and unwanted corporate interference into their projects. v CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Benjamin J. Birkinbine GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy, Media Studies, 2014, University of Oregon Master of Arts, Media Theory and Research, 2010, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Bachelor of Arts, Communication, 2005, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay AREAS OF INTEREST: Political Economy of Communication Open Source Technology Communication Theory Media Studies PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Graduate Teaching Fellow, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2010-2014 Teaching/Research Assistant, College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2008-2010 Instructor, Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2006-2008 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS The Dallas Smythe Award, Awarded by the International Association of Media and Communication Researchers for the paper, “Incorporating the commons: Toward a political economy of corporate involvement in free and open source software,” 2014. Digital Scholarship Center Graduate Affiliate, 2014 vi Rapid Response Grant, Co-sponsored by the Open Society Foundation and the International Association for Media and Communication Researchers, 2014 The Columbia Scholarship, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2013 Outstanding Teaching by a Doctoral Student, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2013 Glenn Starlin Fellowship, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2013 Nominee for Doctoral Research Fellowship, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2013 The Columbia Scholarship, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2011 Lucien P. Arant Scholarship, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2010 vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS No project as formidable as a dissertation can ever be undertaken in complete isolation. Along the way, I've had inspiration, assistance, advice, critiques, clarifications, and collaboration with numerous people who made this possible. I cannot do justice to the entire community who helped, but I would like to thank a few in particular. I thank my dissertation committee for their patience, comments, and critiques. Janet Wasko was an incredibly gracious, accommodating, and fun adviser throughout the process. Bish Sen provided critical feedback and always pushed me to think about the broader implications of my work. Gabriela Martinez was equally supportive, provided great feedback, and was always available for conversations. Finally, Eric Priest became one of the few law professors to serve on a dissertation committee at the University of Oregon. He deserves additional credit for coordinating his involvement while the law school followed a different academic calendar than the rest of the university. I thank the members of my cohort – Toby Hopp, Erica Ciszek, Francesco Somaini, Brant Burkey, and Fatoumata Sow – who were sources of inspiration, support, and friendship. In addition, I would like to thank Jeremy Swartz for the introduction to open source and the guided tour of my first Open Source Convention (OSCON) in Portland in the summer of 2011. That experience, along with the ensuing discussions about the broader implications of open source, led to a change in my academic focus that ultimately provided the impetus for this study. I'm also thankful for the support and friendship of Brenna Wolf-Monteiro, Tewodros Workneh, Randall Livingstone, Jacob Dittmer, Lauren Bratslavsky, Glenn Morris, Karen Estlund, Andre Sirois, Jolene Fisher, and Geoff Ostrove. viii Outside the School of Journalism and Communication, Kat at the ResNet Help Desk helped me with my first Linux install. Without her initial help, this journey may have not been possible. I am now happy to say that I've passed the gift along to others. John Russell and everyone at the Digital Scholarship Center provided support and were always willing to assist in whatever way they could. In addition, the members of the Eugene Unix Gnu Linux Users Group (EUGLUG) were an incredibly welcoming group of people who were kind and patient enough to help a total noob like myself with various Linux questions. I would especially like to thank Larry Price and Jacob Riddle for setting aside extended periods of time to help me with this project and related topics. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my family. I thank my mother and father for their years of support and patience as I've pursued graduate studies. Undoubtedly, without you, none of this would be possible, and I am forever indebted. My sister, Ann, inspires a wealth of adjectives: congenial, affable, good-humored, gregarious, etc., and I'm thankful for the years of fun we've shared. My son, Caden, was only two years old when this journey began, and he is now well on his way to becoming a young man. I've enjoyed watching you grow over these years, and I look forward to many more. You are a blessing. Finally, my love and inspiration, Roberta, meu coração. You have truly been wonderful throughout all these years. In the past, I have seen other writers thank their partners, they allude to the fact that a great deal of patience is necessary to cope with someone who is going through the process of writing a dissertation. I now know what they mean, and I am truly fortunate to have had you as a companion throughout this process. You are truly a gift. ix For the community, and para o meu coração. x TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 Situating Free (Libre) and Open Source Software................................................. 6 History of Computing and Software...............................................................
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