The production mode of public resources is central to their success. Most software is built using a proprietary license and mindset: a company writes the instructions that power the software, and the user buys a license to use it.

Open source software, however, is free to use, share and modify.

Strong open platforms:

• Offer software that is freely available to everyone.
• Foster information sharing via open data formats and other standards.
• Empower others to customize and re-purpose tools for a variety of needs.
• Dramatically reduce the cost of development, acquisition, and maintenance.
• Ensure security, reliability, and auditability.
• Strengthen the marketplace for balanced intellectual property.

The result is software as public resource. Done right, open source software development sparks a virtuous cycle. In an open source community, whenever one member builds a new feature or improves an existing one, everyone benefits. As the utility of the software increases, it attracts more more adopters, propelling the creation of more and better software.

TOPP is a 501c(3) committed to open source development and civic engagement. Our revenue model and production model are aligned to achieve these objective outcomes. All of our work falls under the GNU General Public License, Creative Commons, and other relevant copyleft protections.