Unwrapped Open Source
"One of the emerging problems of open source is the issue of intellectual property ownership. It is not unusual for a piece of code to be mistaken for open source when it is, in actuality, proprietary code belonging to a software vendor. If this code makes it into commercial products or even into a corporate infrastructure there could be serious legal ramifications. It is important that companies make sure that they are buying open source software from organizations that will protect the integrity of their offerings. The combination of a true open source community that is dedicated to quality with a company that understands how to create true commercial software provides the best of both worlds.
There are situations where open source offers another valuable service. There are software products that are owned by companies that no longer have the interest or financial capability to keep the products moving forward. If there is a customer base and a developer base that still cares about the product, moving it into open source may save the technology."
From IT-Director.com: Open Source Unwrapped.
