[OSGeo-Discuss] on Google Code and export restrictions

[Frank Warmerdam]

jo at frot.org wrote:
> On Mon, May 26, 2008 at 09:11:17AM -0700, Jason Birch wrote:
>>    A more disturbing question is whether OSGeo, being a US non-profit using
>>    servers hosted in the US, also has a legal obligation to ensure that we
>>    aren't exporting code in contravention of US export policy.
> 
> I asked on the FLOSS foundations list[0] if others have run across
> similar potential legal issues and got a link to the terrifically
> thorough ASF approach: http://www.apache.org/licenses/exports/
> So it seems worthwhile for OSGeo to develop a similar policy.

Jo,

I agree that we ought to consider developing a similar policy to
Apache's.  I'll add an agenda item for the next board meeting to
start digging into this.

> I agree with Miguel that the [[  the point is not to set-up
> alternative sites, but to promote the use of fully accesible sites, 
> with no restrictions ]] - i'm looking at http://www.berlios.de/
> for a rehouse of a googlecode project. 

I don't really see how OSGeo can deliberately export to embargoed
nations.  But it is unclear to me yet how much effort we are expected
to put into stopping embargoed nations from getting our stuff.  It seems
that Google is going to substantially more effort than most organizations
have.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org