Legal summits to tackle Linux

The Linux Foundation, custodians of the Linux trademark, have announced two summits to deal with legal issues surrounding Linux and open-source software.

Attendance at the first summit will be restricted to members of the Linux Foundation and their legal counsel. Attendees will focus on building a legal defense structure for Linux and policies designed to support intellectual property rights within open development.

The summit will be held in Boston on October 25 to 26.

The second summit--an open meeting--will be held in autumn 2008, and legal experts from any background will be able to attend. The summit will provide practical legal guidance on the development and distribution of open-source software and allow attendees to collaborate on issues including licensing and patents. The summit is expected to become an annual event.

"Many of today's legal conferences unnecessarily scare or confuse open-source users, developers and vendors," Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, said in a statement.

"The LF (Linux Foundation) is able to provide a forum in which it can bring together its members' legal counsel as well as its own legal team to translate issues into the straightforward matters they really are and to bring practical education to a wider audience," the statement said.

The Linux Foundation was created in 2007 by the merger of the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group. It sponsors the work of Linux founder Linus Torvalds and counts companies such as Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel and Novell among its members.

Chris Duckett of Builder AU reported from London.

[WJeansonne]

Lots of luck! They'll have their plate full!!

With all of the intellectual property pitfalls associated with using open source software, these lawyers will definitely have plenty to talk about. What will be interesting is to see how they attempt to weave their way out of IP infringements that are abundant with open source technology. But patents are patents, and these jokers will have to respect them as officers of the court.

[Heymull]

Behind the Curtain

The annual meetings must be designed to present agreements, as well as to discuss legalities. The annual recurring date gives them too little time to work out all the issues. One does not need proof of this. Just try to install Linux on any generic box and everyone will agree that one must use drivers from all over the lot to get the machine to run. Video and wireless drivers come to mind immediately.