Can software results generated under an FP6 project be made publicly accessible as Open Source Software?
It is possible to make software results publicly accessible as Open Source Software instead of treating the results as proprietary software if the contractors consider this option appropriate. The Commission has explicitly confirmed the use of Free Software/Open Source Software licenses as an option for contractors in FP6 projects. The current edition of the Commission’s “Guide to Intellectual Property Rights provisions for FP6 projects” (see section 5, page 7) acknowledges that there are situations where putting knowledge (i.e. project results) in the public domain is an appropriate alternative to intellectual property protection – considering the particularities of the project and the nature of the results concerned, as well as the legitimate interests of the contractors.
