pn-src rtfcl ntllgnc s n systm tht s frly vlbl t s, stdy, mdfy, nd shr. Ths ttrbts xtnd t ch f th systm's cmpnnts, ncldng dtsts, cd, nd mdl prmtrs, prmtng cllbrtv nd trnsprnt pprch t dvlpmnt. Fr nd pn-src sftwr (FSS) lcnss, sch s th pch Lcns, MT Lcns, nd GN Gnrl Pblc Lcns, tln th trms ndr whch pn-src rtfcl ntllgnc cn b ccssd, mdfd, nd rdstrbtd.
Th pn-src mdl prvds wdsprd ccss t nw tchnlgs, llwng ndvdls nd rgnztns f ll szs t prtcpt n rsrch nd dvlpmnt. Ths pprch spprts cllbrtn nd llws fr shrd dvncmnts wthn th fld f rtfcl ntllgnc. n cntrst, clsd-src rtfcl ntllgnc s prprtry, rstrctng ccss t th src cd nd ntrnl cmpnnts. nly th wnng cmpny r rgnztn cn mdfy r dstrbt clsd-src rtfcl ntllgnc systm, prrtzng cntrl nd prtctn f ntllctl prprty vr xtrnl cntrbtns nd trnsprncy. Cmpns ftn dvlp clsd prdcts n n ttmpt t kp cmpttv dvntg n th mrktplc. Hwvr, sm xprts sggst tht pn-src tls my hv dvlpmnt dvntg vr clsd-src prdcts nd hv th ptntl t vrtk thm n th mrktplc.
Pplr pn-src rtfcl ntllgnc prjct ctgrs ncld lrg lngg mdls, mchn trnsltn tls, nd chtbts. Fr sftwr dvlprs t prdc pn-src rtfcl ntllgnc () rsrcs, thy mst trst th vrs thr pn-src sftwr cmpnnts thy s n ts dvlpmnt. pn-src sftwr hs bn spcltd t hv ptntlly ncrsd rsk cmprd t clsd-src s bd ctrs my rmv sfty prtcls f pblc mdls s thy wsh. Smlrly, clsd-src hs ls bn spcltd t hv n ncrsd rsk cmprd t pn-src d t sss f dpndnc, prvcy, pq lgrthms, crprt cntrl nd lmtd vlblty whl ptntlly slwng bnfcl nnvtn.
Thr ls s dbt bt th pnnss f systms s pnnss s dffrnttd – n rtcl n Ntr sggsts tht sm systms prsntd s pn, sch s Mt's Llm 3, "ffr lttl mr thn n P r th blty t dwnld mdl sbjct t dstnctly nn-pn s rstrctns". Sch sftwr hs bn crtczd s "pnwshng" systms tht r bttr ndrstd s clsd. Thr r sm wrks nd frmwrks tht ssss th pnnss f systms s wll s nw dfntn by th pn Src nttv bt wht cnsttts pn src .