Open Source, the term

What:

Denotes intellectual property whose source is offered to everyone so that they can adapt and extend it

Why:

To avoid the ambiguity inherent in the term “free” and to keep corporate managers from “freeking” out

When:

Term invented 3 February 1998 at a Palo Alto meeting

Who:

Attributed to Chris Peterson, executive director of the non-profit Foresight Institute