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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Milo-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A good point, and one that I did give some thought to. But I think using the international parent organization is the right choice in this case for these reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>* There is already precedent for having OSGeo doing such letters of support and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for non-international issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>* Local chapters are welcome to add their support as well [hey, Landon!].<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>* This is an important US case; the US has a long history of open data and public access, and [like it or not] policies of the US tend to influence other nations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>-mpg<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Milo van der Linden [mailto:milo@dogodigi.net] <br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, January 22, 2012 1:57 AM<br><b>To:</b> mpg@flaxen.com; OSGeo Discussions<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] formal request for endorement of amicus on Sierra Club v. Orange Country court case<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p>I think it is a national matter and <a href="http://osgeo.org">osgeo.org</a> is an international organization. We had our share of open (geo)data issues in the Netherlands too and I have donated and supported to several local initiatives trying to force more openness from official bodies, but I think it might be better if <a href="http://osgeo.org">osgeo.org</a> would not step up directly but through local chapters or groups.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Op 21 jan. 2012 21:20 schreef "Michael P. Gerlek" <<a href="mailto:mpg@flaxen.com">mpg@flaxen.com</a>> het volgende:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>OSGeo folk:<br><br>I'm formally requesting that OSGeo endorse the amicus ("friend of the court") brief being submitted by the Sierra Club to the California Supreme Court. This case covers significant interest to our community, including the definition of GIS data and the public's right to access open records.<br><br>The amicus letter can be found at [1]. More details on the case can be found on our wiki at [2].<br><br>If you have any thoughts on this matter -- pro or con -- please reply to the list or to me.<br><br><br>Following the protocol given in [3], discussion of this issue will take place on this mailing list until January 26th. At that time, I will collect the community's responses and submit them to the Board for discussion at our next meeting on February 4th.<br><br>[1] <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/File:OrangeCountry_amicus_letter.pdf" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/File:OrangeCountry_amicus_letter.pdf</a><br>[2] <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OrangeCounty_Amicus" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OrangeCounty_Amicus</a><br>[3] <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Protocol_for_requesting_letter_of_support" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Protocol_for_requesting_letter_of_support</a><br><br>-mpg<br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Discuss mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org">Discuss@lists.osgeo.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>