Impact of Government

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23. What role government plays in the debate?

Government of different countries tend to see open source software in different light. Some governments have expressly tilted the playing field toward open source software, subsidizing its production and use. Instead of choosing software based on its merits—reliability, security, ease of use, and so on—these governments favor open source as a matter of policy. For instance,

1. Singapore is offering tax breaks to companies that use the open source Linux operating system instead of commercial alternatives like Windows.
2. The UK government has published the first draft of its proposed policy on the use of open source software and is seeking comments from the public. The policy essentially seeks to increase the use of open source software at all levels of government and public sector IT provision. Behind this broader acceptance of open source solutions lies a desire to ensure interoperability and the support of open standards and specifications.
3. In addition to the handful of measures that have already passed in Brazil, Germany, and Singapore, many more governments worldwide have open source proposals pending, and the European Parliament has called on member nations to promote the use of open source software whenever practical.

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