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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>The recent discussions on software export
restrictions got me to wondering if we have, or if we should create, a legal
committee. This would be a group familiar with patent law, licensing terms, and
other legal issues related to geospatial software (like privacy rights, access
to publicly funded data, and copyright issues).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>I’m thinking one of the first goals of
such a committee would be to determine what laws and policies the OSGeo needs
to comply with in its operations.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>I don’t have a lot of experience with
these areas of law, but my training and work as a land surveyor has given me
some knowledge of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
legal system. I can read statutes and read and understand most case law. I’d
be willing to assist such a committee if there were other interested members
and a real need for such work.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>The committee couldn’t offer any legal
advice, unless we got a hold of a real lawyer, but we would at least have a
group that could work on getting “official” answers to important
legal questions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>This is just a suggestion.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow"'>Landon<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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