| jeremy |
10-23-2013 03:29 PM |
Open Source needs more tech-savvy lawyers, Linux Foundation says
Quote:
To avoid legal difficulties when managing intellectual property for open-source projects, more tech savvy lawyers are needed, according to the Linux Foundation.
Educating lawyers, however, is not the only solution, argued other open-source insiders at the LinuxCon Europe conference in Edinburgh this week.
Open-source software adoption is outstripping the legal knowledge of parties involved in open-source projects who have difficulty dealing with copyright, patent, licensing and compliance issues, said Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. During the conference’s opening speech on Monday, Zemlin said the open-source community needs more lawyers who have an understanding of the technology and how open-source collaboration works.
Having lawyers with a better understanding of the technology involved in open-source projects would indeed be a way to overcome legal difficulties, said Deb Nicholson, community outreach director of the Open Innovation Network (OIN).
“I would agree that having more tech savvy lawyers that understand open-source legal issues would be good,” Nicholson said. “Smaller companies are desperate to find someone who can advise them,” she said, adding that even if they can pay them, finding an attorney who understands the issues can be difficult.
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--jeremy |
