ITPEC IP April 2026 Question 22

Topic: Software

Among the descriptions below concerning Open Source Software (OSS), which of the following lists all and only the appropriate descriptions?

ASoftware that is created by using OSS can be sold.BAll software with publicly available source code is OSS.CIt is software the copyright of which has been waived.

Explanation

A only — OSS may be sold, but publishing source code does not by itself make software OSS, and OSS is not copyright-free.

  • •A — appropriate: an OSS licence allows free redistribution and does not forbid charging for it, so software built with OSS can be sold, provided the licence conditions are kept (for GPL software, for example, the source must be offered to buyers)
  • •B — inappropriate: software is OSS only when its licence grants the rights to use, modify and redistribute it; source code published for reading only, or with modification or redistribution forbidden, is not OSS
  • •C — inappropriate: the authors keep the copyright, and the licence grants permissions under that copyright; software whose copyright has been waived is public domain software

Answer (a)

Why not others:

  • •(b) A, B — adds B, but a public source code alone does not make an open source licence
  • •(c) B, C — both false, and leaves out the true A
  • •(d) C — OSS stays copyrighted; breaking its licence infringes that copyright

Key rule: OSS is defined by its licence, not by visible source or zero price: copyrighted, freely modifiable and redistributable, and sellable under the licence's conditions.

Software · AI-written, may contain errors

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