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Tasks of a Free Software Legal Department

Posted by Soulskill on from the right-ways-and-wrong-ways dept.

H4x0r Jim Duggan writes "For anyone curious about what the legal department in a free software organisation does, I spent some time with my co-worker in FSFE and have put a summary online with the status of the main projects: developing a legal network, producing documentation, GPL enforcement, copyright consolidation, and training courses."

3 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. meh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    IAAL and most of the time i'm doing contracts with vendors, NDAs, drafting letters, articles of incorp amendments , etc etc. thats what most legal departments do irrespective of whether it is a free software or closed source. the work is the same and its all corporate legal work.
    we dont do training courses or setting up networks. wtf does that have to do with legal work ?
     

    1. Re:meh. by drfireman · · Score: 2, Informative

      we dont do training courses or setting up networks. wtf does that have to do with legal work ?

      As an organization devoted to promoting free software, they quite reasonably wanted to offer training courses on legal matters. Who would you have teaching courses on legal matters if not lawyers?

  2. Quite a bit, actually by btarval · · Score: 2, Informative

    "we dont do training courses or setting up networks. wtf does that have to do with legal work ?"

    One trend I've seen recently is the move to Linux by big companies for their products. And if you're reading Slashdot, you've heard of these companies. The main reason for this move is primarily due to driver and chipset support. Previously they might have used BSD due to "protecting" their Imaginary Property, but no longer. Now they use Linux to stay competitive and decrease the time to market.

    The GPL is a completely foreign concept to many, many managers in these companies. And GPL exposure is something which always comes up, and is something that they have to be concerned with.

    Consequently, they bring in Lawyers for training on what the GPL means and what their legal exposure is. This is undoubtedly what "training" means in the article.

    If your company isn't doing this, then you are missing out on an easy market. Once you develop the training course, you just have to give it over and over again. And of course, you get to charge the usual overpriced legal fees. It doesn't get closer to a gravy train than this.

    I've seen some of the "courses" that legal firms develop, and frankly, your average Slashdotter is more aware of the real issues than what these Coporate Legal firms offer. One firm didn't even go into the grey areas. And barely touched upon the concept of a derivative work.

    I haven't seen what the FSF offers in this area. But if I were going to hire a legal firm to do a presentation, I'd have the FSF do it. They are unquestionably the best experts in this area. The standard big-name firms are just putting out incomplete boilerplate presentations, and not really getting into the issues in a way which really helps the company.

    Why, by the way, undoubtedly means that they don't know how to properly defend themselves should a lawsuit ensue. But I digress.

    As far as setting up networks goes, this is how you increase awareness and business contacts. Which in turns increases your business.

    --
    The best way to predict the future is to create it. - Peter Drucker.