[OSGeo-Discuss] Software Copyright ownership

[Ravi]

While discussing this with Free Software Foundation of India, this topic came up, and I could not explain them the position of software under incubation by OSGeo.
May I have a pointer or thread where the status of software under incubation is dealt, indicating,
1. Copy-Left
2. Type of licensing, GNU-GPL, BSD etc
Ravi Kumar

--- On Sun, 14/2/10, Arnulf Christl (aka Seven) <seven at arnulf.us> wrote:

> From: Arnulf Christl (aka Seven) <seven at arnulf.us>
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Software Copyright ownership
> To: "OSGeo Discussions" <discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
> Date: Sunday, 14 February, 2010, 12:14 PM
> Cleaning up an older thread... 
> 
> >From what I gather from the lists there seems to be no
> broad opinion in
> favor of making projects move their copyright under the
> hood of OSGeo. 
> 
> With the recent discussion of potential export restriction
> enforcement
> by incorporated organizations incorporated in USA the the
> need for a
> more global organization seems to be higher. I am frankly
> at a loss at
> where such an organization would be incorporated and what
> it could look
> like but if it existed I would very much like to support
> it. If anyone
> has a great idea what a truly global OSGeo should look like
> please speak
> up. 
> 
> We should spend some thought on copyright every time we
> admit and
> evaluate projects in incubation. My personal experience
> shows that
> having the copyright of Open Source projects completely
> under the hood
> of a community owned organization is a good thing.
> Everything else is
> messy. The messy bit only shows when things go wrong so
> lets keep
> fingers crossed and as long as nothing happens we'll all be
> fine. 
> 
> Best regards, 
> Arnulf. 
> 
> On Mon, 2009-12-14 at 21:34 +0000, Chris Puttick wrote:
> > The other issue with assigning code copyrights to a
> US-based
> >  organisation is a simple one. The US has the
> strongest software patent
> >  machine and the most supportive courts (if you
> pick your state
> >  carefully ;) ).
> > 
> > As FOSSGIS applications bite ever harder into the
> profits of the dominant player(s), the chance of the game
> being changed to a legal one rather than a sales and
> marketing one is pretty high; a fight OSGeo couldn't afford
> to be in.
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > ----- "Landon Blake" <lblake at ksninc.com>
> wrote:
> > 
> > > One example of the restrictions Luis is talking
> about is the
> > > prohibition
> > > against distributing certain cryptographic
> software outside of the
> > > US:
> > > 
> > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_of_cryptography
> > > 
> > > Don't know that OSGeo would bump into that, but
> it is one example of
> > > a
> > > US specific restriction on organizations involved
> in software
> > > development.
> > > 
> > > Landon
> > > Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> > > Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
> > >  
> > >  
> > > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> > > [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org]
> On Behalf Of Luis W. Sevilla
> > > Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 10:40 AM
> > > To: OSGeo Discussions
> > > Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Software Copyright
> ownership
> > > 
> > > Hi,
> > >     one thing must be taken
> in account, IMHO. If I'm not wrong OSGeo
> > > is 
> > > an USA foundation (is registered in the States,
> and must follow his 
> > > laws, of course. As USA maintains a commercial
> embargo to Cuba [1], it
> > > 
> > > seems there are a lot of things in technology
> fields restricted to 
> > > American companies (and also foundations).
> > > 
> > >     If OSGeo will not became
> a more global (not so USA laws
> > > conditioned)
> > > 
> > > institution, it doesn't seem so good the idea of
> giving all and every
> > > 
> > > copyrights to the foundation.
> > > 
> > >     My two cents
> > >        Luis
> > > 
> > > [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo_against_Cuba
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> > > 
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> 
> -- 
> http://arnulf.us
> Exploring Space, Time and Mind
> 
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