[OSGeo-Board] Local chapters and their legal status

[Markus Neteler]

Hi Venka, Board,

On 10/2/06, Venkatesh Raghavan <raghavan at media.osaka-cu.ac.jp> wrote:
...
> What does current legal form mean? My understanding
> is that OSGeo is a legal body and official Local Chapter
> fall in the same legal purview as OSGeo, since the
> OSGeo Board has approved these official chapters.
>
> Maybe my understanding is wrong.

My issue was to understand the legal form in the individual
*countries*. The legal status within OSGeo does not apply
to the legal framework of the individual countries. But the
local chapters will have chosen a legal form following the
legislation of their countries which I/we would like to know.

Examples:
- OSGeo itself is heading for 501c3 status (which only exists in the US)
- the hopefully upcoming OSGeo-DE chapter is likely to be an e.V. [1]
  ("eingetragener Verein" which can receive tax-exempt donations)
- the hopefully upcoming OSGeo-IT is probably an ONLUS [2] or a
  registered association [3] (the latter probably cannot receive tax-exempt
  donations but is much easier to handle)
- OSGeo-Ottawa is currently a group of interested people without legal
  status according to Canadian law (as Frank said)
- and so forth.

This information is important to have to understand if and how the
various chapters can receive money and spend it.

Regards
Markus

[1] http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eingetragener_Verein
[2] http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onlus
[3] http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associazione_%28diritto%29