Local chapters and their legal status

[Markus Neteler]

Board,

being involved in the complicated question of finding the
right legal form for the Italian OSGeo chapter, I wonder
if we should add the requirement onto all local chapters to
publish their legal status. This would help to understand how they
are/were formed. Maybe a one-liner could then explain the
implications of the chosen form and if it is the definite one
or in transition (from ad-hoc to stable...).

So my first question is about the legal form of Japanese, Chinese
and Indian local chapters which are listed as official on the
www.osgeo.org site.

Best regards
Markus