I was dismayed to read about Marquette's enlistment into the "Define the Line" program. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is an organization devoted only to serving their member corporations, not the university. Marquette's energy would be better invested in seeking out open source software packages that meet its needs. Lynn Gunn of Information Technology Services was quoted as saying "It seemed like a natural fit with Marquette's mission and values…"

Part of the university's mission states, "All this we pursue for the greater glory of God and the common benefit of the human community." The Business Software Alliance "is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world" — sounds kinda like "Omni Ad Majorem Stockholder Gloriem" to me.

In contrast, the Open Source Initiative "is a non-profit corporation dedicated to managing and promoting the Open Source Definition for the good of the community." Which organization seems like a more natural fit with Marquette's mission and values? Yes, without a doubt, stealing is bad. But more importantly, open source software is good, and should be given such weight when software packages are chosen for productivity and class work.

Faculty and students each should take this opportunity to search for open source alternatives to their commercial software (pirated and legitimately licensed alike) packages on sites like SourceForge.net. Many of you might be floored by the quantity and quality of what's available, all at no cost.

Those of you who shelled out $100-odd for your copy of Microsoft Office Student Edition might have felt like you made some great savings over the $400 retail MS Office package, but consider OpenOffice.org — a very worthy competitor, infinitely more valuable at $0. Consider also the peace of mind you get when you don't have to fear the jack-booted BSA thugs compelling you to "prove your innocence" with one of their audits.

In fairness, authors of open source software are not totally without self-interest. Some seek fame, some use it to develop their career, some are just "scratching an itch" and others leverage a support-based business model. Many authors of open source software create these products out of a strong commitment to community. Regardless of their motives, the world benefits all the same. By licensing the software and the source with which to create it at no cost, they empower the user to contribute their own fixes and features or to hire someone who can.

The latter seems like a tall order for an individual, but businesses often get locked in to some vendor's commercial software package and are either compelled to purchase upgrades or face the day when their vendor goes out of business.

And what of this "Define the Line" program? Does Marquette really want to partner with the BSA, pioneering a program like this? Maybe there's a good reason that no other university has yet signed on. Recovering from a failed BSA audit can be a very expensive ordeal — the U.S. Copyright Act states that copyright infringers are liable for "damages of $750 to $30,000 for each work infringed." Faculty, take heed — if you install commercial software on a university-owned computer without a legitimate license, the chances are now ever more likely that your career will end up serving as an example of exactly where "The Line" falls.

This viewpoint was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 15, 2005.