[Incubator] Transfering Code Copyright - restart

[Frank Warmerdam]

Jody Garnett wrote:
> Frank Warmerdam wrote:
>> I feel ... uncomfortable ... having these files listing an impossible
>> (from a legal point of view) copyright holder.  But on the other hand, 
>> I'm
>> really unclear on what the appropriate resolution to this would be.
> GeoTools was in the same boat, we asked our development community, and 
> we chose placing the code under OSGEO (c) as the best option, vs forming 
> our "GeoTools Project Management Committee" as a legal entity.  Forming 
> a legal entity on your own is another resolution however, it would have 
> to go through the same questions we are asking here.
> 
> In short it seems the initial batch of incubation projects are indeed 
> hitting the snags we can expect as time goes on.

Jody,

I'd add that forming such a legal entity doesn't mean the code is really
assigned to it.  Without the signed paper from all contributors the
code copyright is still really held by the original developers since it
was never legally reassigned.  So you would still face the same issues
we face.

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