[wos] New Law Center Founded to Assist Open Source [signed]

[Volker Grassmuck [c]]

[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/press-release-050201.html]
New Law Center Founded to Assist Open Source Software Developers

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
lonn at pageonepr.com

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