Principled free software license enforcement An open source company perspective
Channel: FOSDEM
Date: 2018-03-11

by Richard Fontana

At: FOSDEM 2017

During the last few years there has been significant debate over approaches toGPL enforcement in technical and legal communities. This talk presents a newand unique vendor perspective on free software license enforcement thatemphasizes the goal of fostering greater collaboration and participation incommunity development and highlights the importance of transparency regardingfunding relationships and conflicts of interest arising out of enforcementactivities.

During the last few years there has been significant debate over approaches toGPL enforcement in developer and legal communities. This talk presents aunique vendor perspective on free software license enforcement that has beenshaped by deep organizational involvement in free software development,longstanding cultural ties to GPL-using communities, and a strong corporateemphasis on ethical conduct.

Where compliance efforts adhere strictly to certain principles, they canprovide a legitimate mechanism for ensuring that everyone plays by the rulesestablished by the community through the license. But the ultimate objectiveof enforcement should be to foster greater collaboration and participation incommunity development.

The Principles of Community-Oriented GPL Enforcement published in 2015 by theSoftware Freedom Conservancy and Free Software Foundation represent a goodfirst step in articulating an appropriately principled basis for copyleftenforcement. However, there are some gaps in the Principles that should beaddressed by communities supportive of license enforcement. In particular, forenforcement to have community legitimacy, there needs to be an expectation ofdisclosure of funding relationships and exposure and resolution of thepotential conflicts of interest that may arise in enforcement activity.


Room: H.1301 (Cornil)
Scheduled start: 2017-02-04 13:35:00