電腦程式與開放原始碼之著作權問題

Abstract

開放原始碼電腦程式近來受到廣泛的注意，原因是其逐漸增加的市場佔有率以及其特殊的授權方式。通用公共授權契約就是其中的代表，而其興起則是肇因於電腦程式之著作權問題。 通用公共授權契約條款對於軟體自由與開放著作有一定的堅持，因此，對於利用通用公共授權契約授權的電腦程式所產生之衍生著作，也要求該衍生著作必須對他人保持軟體自由與開放著作。於是通用公共授權契約的契約條款解釋，與以商業用為目標的開發者之間就引起若干爭議，特別是那些想使得衍生著作成為專有電腦程式或者以典型商業授權的著作人。 本論文討論電腦程式的著作權問題以及應如何解釋通用公共授權契約的維持開放條款。解決電腦程式的著作權問題，應著重在考慮電腦程式著作的本質與效用異於其他著作；至於應如何解釋通用公共授權契約的維持開放條款，在大部分的情況下授權人是否遵守契約義務均可以容易被判斷，但是在一些爭議的案件，例如動態連結的型態，則判斷上就相對較為困難，本論文認為應以契約之文義解釋與目的解釋為判斷標準。

Open source code has recently captured public attention both because of the attractiveness and growing market share of programs developed under the open source model and because of its unique approach to software licensing. GNU General Public License（GPL）is perhaps the “classic” example of an open source license. The GPL reflects the intent of its drafters to turn traditional notions of copyright. GPL contains strong words about the freedom of software and the copyleft requirement that all derivative works also remain open source. As such, the GPL has been controversial for commercial developers, especially those who want to make their derivative works private or subject to a standard commercial license. This thesis discusses the issues of computer program copyright and how to interpret the GPL open source clause. In most cases, licesnse can easily to be determined wether the obligations are met. Nevertheless, there are quite a few difficult controversy cases, mostly involving dynamic link.