[DMCA-Activists] New Law Center Founded to Assist Free Source Software Developers

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: <incom> New Law Center Founded to Assist Open Source
SoftwareDevelopers
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 09:57:35 +0100
From: sz <address@hidden>
To: incom <address@hidden>

New Law Center Founded to Assist Open Source Software Developers
<http://www.softwarefreedom.org/>

Software Freedom Law Center to be led by noted IP lawyer and
professor  Eben Moglen of Columbia University – initial funding
support from Open  Source Development Labs

BURLINGAME, Calif. – February 1, 2005 – Columbia University Law 
Professor Eben Moglen today announced the formation of the
Software  Freedom Law Center, whose mission is to provide
pro-bono legal services  globally to eligible non-profit open
source software projects and  developers.

“As the popularity and use of free and open source software
increases  and proprietary software development models are
threatened, providing  necessary legal services to open source
developers is becoming  increasingly important to prevent
liability and other legal issues from  interfering with its
success,” Moglen said. “The Law Center is being  established to
provide legal services to protect the legitimate rights  and
interests of free and open source software projects and
developers,  who often do not have the means to secure the legal
services they need.”

Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium
dedicated to  accelerating the adoption of Linux®, has raised
more than $4 million for  a newly-established IP fund that will
provide the seed money for the new  and independent legal center
based in New York. Last year OSDL announced  a separate $10
million Linux Legal Defense Fund to provide legal support  for
Linus Torvalds and end user companies subjected to Linux-related 
litigation by the SCO Group. The new Law Center announced today
will be  an independent organization not affiliated with OSDL.

“OSDL is committed to supporting initiatives such as the Law
Center to  help protect the legitimate development and use of
Linux and open source  software,” said Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL.
“We encourage other companies  and organizations like OSDL who
are dedicated to securing the future of  open source software to
contribute to the Law Center and participate in  its good works.”

Overseeing the Law Center will be a distinguished board of
directors  comprised of Moglen; Diane Peters, General Counsel at
OSDL; Daniel  Weitzner, Principal Research Scientist at MIT’s
Computer Science and  Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and
World Wide Web Consortium  Technology & Society Domain Leader;
and Lawrence Lessig, Stanford Law  Professor and author.

“Both free and open source software face many emerging legal
threats,”  said Lessig. “We should be skeptical of legal
mechanisms that enable  those most threatened by the success of
open source and free software to  resist its advance. The Law
Center will serve as important support for  the free and open
source communities and for those that benefit from  free and open
source software.”

Moglen, regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on
copyright law  as applied to software, will run the new Law
Center from its  headquarters in New York City. The Law Center
will initially have two  full-time intellectual property
attorneys on staff and expects to expand  to four attorneys later
this year. Initial clients for the Law Center  include the Free
Software Foundation and the Samba Project.

“Free software projects often face legal issues that need expert
advice,  but it can sometimes be difficult or prohibitively
costly to obtain that  advice through traditional legal
channels.” said Andrew Tridgell, head  of the Samba project. “We
are delighted that the Free Software Law  Center is being setup
under Eben Mogeln’s excellent guidance. I think  this is an
important milestone in the maturity of the free software 
community.”

Legal services provided to eligible individuals and projects
include  asset stewardship, licensing, license defense and
litigation support,  and legal consulting and lawyer training.
The Law Center will be  software license neutral and intends to
participate directly in work  currently underway around revisions
to the GNU General Public License  (GPL) with the Free Software
Foundation. The Law Center will also work  on issues around the
proliferation of open source licenses.

The Law Center is dedicated to assisting non-profit open source 
developers and projects who do not otherwise have access to
necessary  legal services. For criteria on eligibility and to
apply for assistance,  please contact the Law Center directly or
visit it on the Web at  www.softwarefreedom.org.

###

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Third party marks and
brands are  the property of their respective holders

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Lonn Johnston for OSDL
Page One PR
+1 650.565.9800 ×101
address@hidden
_______________________________________________
incom-l mailing list
address@hidden
http://mail.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/incom-l