[OSGeo-Conf] liability

Eli Adam eadam at co.lincoln.or.us
Thu Jun 18 11:46:55 PDT 2015


On Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 11:29 AM, Darrell Fuhriman <darrell at garnix.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> If OSGeo is getting the benefits of any proceeds, they need to be assuming
>>> the liability as well.
>>
>> I agree with this.  I'd have to reread contracts (or get a lawyer's
>> opinion) but I think most of the liability is already largely on
>> OSGeo.
>
> This was the case for Portland, and was part of the contract signed with the VTM Group (the POC) and OSGeo.

Agree.

>
> The LoC *couldn’t* accept any liability, because the LoC was not a legal entity, and to ask the LoC members to accept personal liability is obviously ridiculous.
>
>
> So far OSGeo’s FOSS4G operating model is essentially this:
>
> 1) "Anyone want to run a conference for us?"
> 2) Choose one of the people who offer to do it and delegate
> 3) Give them a pile of money
> 4) Hope for the best
> 5) Profit(?)

If Darrell and I are in the bar, I'm prone to handing him my wallet,
saying "here's 40k, see you in a year with 100k", then I slap him on
the back and say "good luck!"  His reactions range from a mild glare,
a gentle laugh, and occasionally a frothing at the mouth rant.  This
model although very stressful for the LOC and chair, generally appears
to work.

>
> If (5) instead becomes “Lose money” that’s on OSGeo, and that’s as it should be, because if (5) is “Profit” it gets all the rewards, too.

But more seriously, yes (5) is/should not be "Profit(?)" but "Profit
or loss".  As I said before, I'm not convinced that this is not
already the case.  We can certainly clarify this in the RFP which will
go out soon for 2017.  Feel free to join in on the RFP process
details, https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/2015-May/003012.html

Eli

>
> If Gaia3d (presumably) is accepting any direct financial or legal liability for FOSS4G 2015 that is a *major* problem in my mind.
>
> d.
>
>


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