Only 5% of the 300 IT executives surveyed by Computer Business Review said they always opted for open source whenever possible, while three-quarters said it depended on the individual project. One in four of the companies had made it policy to avoid open source.
Although the research showed a healthy uptake of open source software, many firms were worried about litigation.
A concerned 40% of respondents were uneasy that open source software would leave them vulnerable to censure or litigation from commercial software vendors crying patent or trademark infringement.
These fears are unfounded, according to Andrew Katz, a solicitor at UK law firm Moorcrofts, as US patents do not apply under UK law.
The UK is in a fantastic position. The chances of coming across patent infringement is vastly less, Katz told delegates at a London open source event earlier this month.
