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Open source battles Microsoft in Ukraine
A battle for software supremacy within the public and private sectors of Ukraine has begun. Recently, the Ukrainian Parliament registered a "project of law" (the equivalent of a bill in U.S. terms) that may radically alter the manner in which the Ukrainian government procures software. If adopted, it will require government agencies, along with all state-owned or state-controlled companies, to give preference to open source software.
However, the proposed legislation still offers ample opportunity for competition by legitimate proprietary software. It requires giving preference to an open source product only when the open source feature set is analogous to that of a commercial product, and justifies using proprietary products if the open source counterparts are more expensive.
The open source project contains nearly the entire OSI definition of open source, translated into the language of the Ukrainian legal system. It stipulates that all source code developed by public authorities is to be of an open nature, constrained only by the requirements of national security. And the bill does not limit itself to just software. Among its key elements is the requirement for state authorities to incorporate open standards in their work. Another provision requires public authorities to open the source code of the software they develop, except in cases when national security considerations requires the contrary.
Source: Newsforge
