Although it was a relatively uneventful week, probably the biggest news item from the past week is Microsoft (anew) using the tried and tested method of a huge patent portfolio to bully other companies into paying them just to go away (Software patents).

On licensing we have some interesting news: Project Harmony just launched 1.0 and CERN just launched its Open Hardware License 1.1 and Open Hardware Repository (both Free Software Licensing).

A interesting and fun find was the Illustrated Law Journal, which uses Free licenses and illustrations to make legal questions more understandable (Other interesting links).

I would again like to thank Natalia for the great help with gathering of these articles and links. oftware Licensing

Project Harmony just launched version 1.0 of its contributor agreement templates. Project Harmony is tackling the tricky ground of contribution agreements and copyright assignments, trying to make these more understandable an easily managable. Since copyright assignments can be quite a touchy subject, some dissenting opinions are also present.

CERN launches Open Hardware Repository and Open Hardware License [CERN OHL], granting all freedoms of Free Software, only on a hardware level. It includes a reasonable patent clause as well as copyleft.

Software Patents

Washington Post: Antitrust officials probing sale of patents to Google’s rivals

Debian: Community Distribution Patent Policy FAQ

Electronista: Canada investigating Nortel patent selloff

Slightly Right of Centre: When the sum of the parts is way more than the whole

Microsoft has (again) started to use patents to bully companies who make Android-based devices. Below is a collection of interesting articles, which the light of these recent events reflect upon the importance and implications of (software) patents.

More news on Oracle vs. Google:

Government and Free Software Policies

The Register: NHS told: freeze all Microsoft spend

Free Software Business

The Inquirer: Microsoft open sources code to calm WiFi snooping fears

451 CAOS Theory: The rise, fall and reality of commercial open source

ComputerWorldUK: Investing In Open Source

Copyright and Other Legal Act Reforms

ArsTechnica: "Massive infringement" case against CNET dropped

EFF: It's Back: WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Returns From The Grave

Open Standards

ArsTechnica: Samsung releases code of WebCL implementation for WebKit

Other interesting links

Technollama: The revolution will be webcast

Techdirt: Shouldn't Free Mean The Same Thing Whether Followed By 'Culture' Or 'Software'?

Networkworld: Anti-rantifesto: Why free software and free culture aren't the same

Wobbing: EU: Parliament holds back ACTA documents

Neelie Kroes, MEP: Every woman digital – plugging the ICT skills gap

IP Justice: What does it mean for ICANN to act in the public interest?

hook out → going out for a nice walk with my GF


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