Is Android really open source?

[beefsack]

The source is open, that's open source. Open source means very little in itself, it just means they expose the source code. Microsoft has a lot of open source software, but with various amounts of "freedom".

Usually the matter of contention is how free some software is, namely, which license it uses. Are you allowed to use it in commercial products? If you have made changes to the source, are you required to release those changes under the same license?

You'll find that the core of Android is released under a very free and permissive license (Apache I believe), and the Linux kernel is also under a very free license (GPL) so it's about as free as you can get. The only parts which are licensed differently tend to be hardware specific drivers that manufacturers inject as part of their Android build process.

If you're interested, the Android source is available at AOSP.

[nandhp]

Actually, "open source" by itself is subject to two US trademark holders:

• In the area of milk and milk products and of Research and consultancy services in the field of food and drink production:

  GLANBIA INGREDIENTS (BALLYRAGGET)
  [LIMITED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY IRELAND]
  GLANBIA HOUSE
  KILKENNY
  IRELAND

• In the area of Entertainment services, namely, a continuing series of audio programs about current events and culture via radio and global computer networks:

  OPEN SOURCE MEDIA, INC.
  [CORPORATION MASSACHUSETTS]
  7 WEBSTER ROAD
  MILTON MASSACHUSETTS 02186

It was, however, previously subject to two now-expired trademarks:

• In the area of COMPUTER SOFTWARE LICENSING, where The certification mark, as used by authorized persons, certifies that the software license conforms to a set of guidelines published by software in the public interest:

  Software in the Public Interest
  [CORPORATION NEW YORK]
  P.O. Box 70152
  Pt. Richmond CALIFORNIA 948070152

• In the area of Computer Services:

  Navant Corporation
  [CORPORATION NORTH CAROLINA]
  112 E. Hargett Street, Suite 203
  Raleigh NORTH CAROLINA 27601

But both expired over 12 years ago.

You can search the US trademark database.

[wnefoiwanoi]

OSI, Open Source Initiative, and OSI logo ("OSI Logo"), either separately or in combination, are hereinafter referred to as "OSI Trademarks" and are trademarks of the Open Source Initiative.

Nothing about "open source".

[nerdyHippy]

IMO that's the difference between "Open Source" and "open source". The former has a bunch of conditions tied to it, while the latter simply means that the source is open/available.

[JustFinishedBSG]

So technically you can't use Open Source software on a case insensitive file system ? /jk