Open Source und Kartellrecht: Die Gültigkeit der Copyleft- und Lizenzgebührverbots-Klauseln angesichts des Art. 101 AEU (sowie der §§ 1 f. GWB)

• Author: Arne Nordmeyer
• Position: LL.M., Dipl.-Jur., Doktorand am Institut für Rechtsinformatik der Leibniz Universität Hannover, Lehrstuhl Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger, LL.M. (Harvard)
• Pages: 19-33

2010

19

1

Abstract: „Open source and European antitrust laws: An analysis of copyleft and the prohibition of

software license fees on the basis of art. 101 TFEU and the block exemptions“

Open source software and open source licenses (like the GNU GPL) are not only relevant for computer

nerds or activists – they are already business. They are for example the fundament of LINUX, the only

real rival of MICROSOFT’s WINDOWS-line in the field of operating systems for IBM PC compatibles.

Art. 101 TFEU (like the identical predecessor art. 81 TEC) as part of the EU antitrust laws prohibits

contract terms like price fixing and some forms of technology control. Are copyleft – the „viral effect“, the

„cancer“ – and the interdiction of software license fees in the cross hairs of this legal rule? On the other

side the European Union has since 2004 a new Technology Transfer Block Exemption with software

license agreements for the first time in its scope: a safe harbour and a dry place under a umbrella for

open source software?

After the introduction (A) with a description of open source software the following text analyses the

system of the European Unions competition law respectivley antitrust law and the requirements of the

block exemptions (B). Starting point of antitrust analysis are undertakings – but who are the untertakings

(C) in the field of widespread, independent developers as part of the „ba zar organization“? To see how

much open source has to fear from the law of the European Union, at the end the anti competitive and

pro competitive effect s of open source are totalized within the legal framework (D). The conclusion (E)

shows: not nothing, but not much.

Open Source und Kartellrecht:

Die Gültigkeit der Copyleft- und

Lizenzgebührverbots-Klauseln angesichts

des Art. 101 AEU (sowie der §§ 1 f. GWB)

von Arne Nordmeyer

LL.M., Dipl.-Jur., Doktorand am Institut für

Rechtsinformatik der Leibniz Universität Hannover,

Lehrstuhl Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger, LL.M. (Harvard)*

© 2010 Arne Nordmeyer

Jedermann darf di eses Werk unter den Bedingungen der Dig ital Peer Publishing Lizenz (DPPL) elektronisch übermitteln

und zum Download bereitstellen. Der Lizenztext ist im Internet abrufbar unter der Adresse http://nbn-resolving.de/

urn:nbn:de:000 9-dppl-v3-de0.

Recommended citation: Nordmeyer, Arne, Open Source und Kartellrecht: Die Gültigkeit der Copyleft- und Lizenzgebührverbots-

Klauseln angesichts des Ar t. 101 AEU (sowie der §§ 1 f. GWB), 1 (2010) JIPITEC 19, para. 1

Keywords: Open Source Software; Software License; European Antitrust Law; European Competition

Law; Copyleft; Viral Effect; Technology Transfer Block Exemption; Art. 101 TFEU (ex Ar t. 81 TEC); GNU

GPL; Free Software