I take back what I said about forming up a Non-Profit. When I researched a little deeper into non-profit or NPO's, I found that they can be a nightmare. Other than the tax status, there is not much good to say about an NPO when you do the research.
A standard C-Corp would seem the most sensible way forward. More complex to setup initially, but easier to govern and maintain later on. Gary On Sat, Dec 29, 2012 at 11:37 AM, Troy Benjegerdes <[email protected]> wrote: > I would like to propose formation of a mutual-benefit cooperative, > governed using the https://github.com/enspiral/loomio/wiki tool, > with the 'membership' requirements being submitting code, documentation, > and testing. > > As for social contract, let's start with: > > http://www.debian.org/social_contract > > Why re-invent the wheel when there's a perfectly good, well tested > social contract ready for us to use? > > On Sat, Dec 29, 2012 at 12:11:37AM -0800, gary sheppard wrote: > > Perhaps a modification of the Apache 2.0? > > > > http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr/article/view/69 > > -- 1a) This link is to a PDF that compares the CERN Hardware Lic and the > > TAPR Hardware Lic and proposes an alternative for business concerns based > > on the Apache 2.0 lic. > > > > As for the Open Graphics "entity", how about a non-profit foundation? > > Write up a good solid "social contract", get the Lic in order, setup the > > foundation and it's legal guidance's. > > > > Obviously keeping thing's transparent is the key to avoiding paranoia as > > much as possible. > > > > Gary > > > > > > On Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 7:52 PM, Timothy Normand Miller > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > Back under Traversal, we had a license that was attached to source > files > > > and put up on the Wiki that explained that Traversal had copyright in a > > > dual-license manner, and that anyone had the right to strip off these > > > licensing terms and make it pure GPL. > > > > > > Unfortunately, this didn't work out so well, because some individuals > > > assumed that it was ONLY GPL and were bothered when they saw this > stuff end > > > up in a commercial product. This is despite the fact that the > licensing > > > terms were in every source file and on the wiki and stated this > clearly. > > > > > > SO, as a formality, to avoid this problem, I think I need to apply a > > > special license. There should be only one license, which is that I > (as its > > > benevolent guardian) have legal control over it, and that at any time, > > > another individual wanting to fork the published code can CONVERT it to > > > GPL. This is an explicit step of removing one license and applying > another > > > in accordance with the original licensing terms, rather than simply > > > removing one of two concurrent licenses. > > > > > > This way, in the remote chance that the hardware has revenue > potential, I > > > can license it to some company or other under arbitrary (i.e. non-GPL) > > > terms, and it's all above-board, because the version I'm licensing is > NOT > > > GPL and NEVER WAS. This also affords me the opportunity to work into > the > > > license any necessary disclaimers pertaining to avoiding potential > conflict > > > of interest with my work at Binghamton University, etc., etc. > > > > > > Now, just to be clear, just because I have LEGAL control doesn't mean I > > > have complete MORAL control. Sure, I'm probably going to end up > writing > > > most of the code, but I have gotten design advice and other > documentation > > > from other contributors to this project, and there will be lots of > other > > > kinds of input, like from people synthesizing some GPU configuration > for > > > standard cell and reporting back timing and energy info. This is still > > > morally public property, so it's not like I can just pocket the money. > It > > > has to be invested in open hardware and software projects, and it's > also my > > > job to ensure that this is done wisely. > > > > > > Let the endless discussion and paranoia begin. :) > > > > > > -- > > > Timothy Normand Miller, PhD > > > Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Binghamton University > > > http://www.cs.binghamton.edu/~millerti/< > http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~millerti> > > > Open Graphics Project > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Open-graphics mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics > > > List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com) > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Open-graphics mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics > > List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com) > > > -- > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Troy Benjegerdes 'da hozer' [email protected] > > Somone asked my why I work on this free (http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/) > software & hardware (http://q3u.be) stuff and not get a real job. > Charles Shultz had the best answer: > > "Why do musicians compose symphonies and poets write poems? They do it > because life wouldn't have any meaning for them if they didn't. That's why > I draw cartoons. It's my life." -- Charles Shultz >
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