On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Marvin Humphrey <mar...@rectangular.com> wrote: > On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 09:22:57PM +0000, Ross Gardler wrote: >> This is an interesting question. I was recently asked to help with >> exactly this issue and I also struggled. > > Perhaps we might consider working up an example policy ourselves?
Cool idea :) > It is in the interest of the ASF to make it as easy as possible for companies > to contribute to our projects. Creating a company open source policy has a > cost. If we provide a template policy that is rock solid with regards to > using and contributing to ASF projects at the least -- and hopefully open > source at large -- we can bring that cost down. > > In addition, if a company adopts the sample policy verbatim, it becomes easier > for a candidate to assess whether they would be happy there. > > I can see a "web startup" with a limited budget taking the easy route and > adopting an ASF-crafted open source policy verbatim. > > I don't know, though -- I'm just an ASF committer on an Incubator project, so > I don't know whether any part of the ASF, if any, would take on such a project > or in what form. It's a meritocracy; by stepping up with this email you've already started the project. Stay quietly persistent and keep it going (and I don't see why it can't stay on community@). Find a wiki and start documenting. :) >> Here's what I told the company that asked me about this: >> >> A healthy policy would look like the outline you describe, some (off the >> top of my head) statements that would be appropriate are: > > Presumably this "outline" described procedures for obtaining clearance from > management to work on open source projects? Depends how liberal you're talking. A liberal company would be more along the lines of: "Let us know projects you work on. If anything terrifies us we'll let you know to back out and will add it to the 'please don't' list. " >> - we will honour all trademarks policies and licences relating to the >> projects > > This is more challenging than it sounds! The participating employees have to > recieve sufficient training and guidance to execute the policy cleanly. If we assume the likely user of a liberal set of policies would be a startup, the main concern is in making sure no copyleft code ends up in a distributed product, and no network-copyleft code ends up 'networked' in. Startups tend to get strong advice to secure a few patents. Assuming they're taking that particular VC advice, then making sure staff know about the patents they have is very worthwhile and those areas can be forbidden for open source activities. That's a pretty small amount of required training. Draw a few architectural circles to pay more attention in, a few licenses to pay more attention to and discuss your patents internally such that employees know to avoid the space. Other small companies who aren't looking for a sale can afford to be more liberal. Non-project orgs for example (who I suspect would love such a liberal policy). So, here's my liberal, yet not non-existent, Open Source policy: * List of company products which require <someone> sign off on inclusion of Open Source unless under these licenses <list permissive licenses>. * List of licenses which require <someone> sign off on use anywhere: <list>. * List of company patents. * List of projects (or type of project) to avoid for specified reason. * Company email address to mail when contributing to a project (having checked above project-avoid list). * Company email address to mail to get CCLAs signed. Hen --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: community-unsubscr...@apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: community-h...@apache.org
