[Discussioni] Launch of international free and open source software law review

[Francesco Potorti`]

LAUNCH of INTERNATIONAL FREE and OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE LAW REVIEW

Editorial Committee, International Free and Open Source Software Law
Review, London.

London, 13 July 2009. 

Today sees the launch of a prestigious new legal Journal which aims to
bring the highest standards to bear in analysis and comment on all
aspects of Free and Open Source software.

The 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSSLR)
is a peer reviewed biannual journal for high-level analysis and debate
about Free and Open Source Software legal issues and is published by an
independent Editorial Committee. 

Free and Open Source Software has increasingly come to challenge
traditional concepts of intellectual property and collaboration by
allowing every user to use, study, share and and improve code,
facilitating the creation of elegant and effective software that now
lies at the heart of the mainstream technology industry.  IFOSSLR aims
to foster increased understanding and promote best practice for all
parties engaging with this approach to licensing.

Welcoming this initiative, Karen Copenhaver, Partner Choate Hall &
Stewart LLP and counsel to the Linux Foundation commented: "There are
many reasons why The International Free and Open Source Software Law
Review will be warmly received in legal circles, in the free and open
source community and in the wider software industry.  For many years the
focus in the legal community has been on raising questions about free
and open source software licenses and development models.  With this
journal we have turned the page and begun to focus on the answers.  It
is rewarding to see lawyers adopting collaborative models to share
knowledge and work product, arrive at common understandings, and further
the development of the necessary legal ecosystem around free and open
source software.  It is also significant that this international journal
reflects the global community that has formed around these models.  My
congratulations and thanks go to the editorial board that worked so well
together to create this valuable resource."  

In concord with the aims of the Free and Open Source Software movement,
IFOSSLR will be available printed and on-line under a licence allowing
it to be freely reproduced by individuals and organisations, commercial
and non-commercial alike, provided that the content and authorship of
the articles is respected.

The first issue is now available on the Internet to be read and
downloaded without charge at www.ifosslr.org. Paper copies can also be
ordered via the website.

Click here to download the PDF file of IFOSSLR Volume 1, Issue 1
<http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr/manager/files/ifosslr-v1-i1.pdf>.

Background Information:

The Editorial Committee

The Editorial Committee of IFOSSLR is made up of members of the European
Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in
2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS.  Today the network is
the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in
the field, containing over 200 specialists from Europe, North America,
Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of  IFOSSLR thanks the NLnet Foundation for
administrative support, the Mozilla foundation for financial support,
and the Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European
Legal Network.  While none of these organisations has any editorial
control over IFOSSLR, their contribution is highly appreciated.