FOSSBazaar is an open community that was launched by HP and our founding partners Coverity, DLA Piper, Google, the Linux Foundation, Novell, Olliance Group, OpenLogic and SourceForge. As a workgroup of the Linux Foundation, we are dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations across the enterprise to understand the issues that exist with free and open source software (FOSS), the processes that can assist to properly govern the implementation and deployment of FOSS, and the tools that can be used to assist these efforts across the lifecycle of an open source project. The vision of FOSSBazaar is to serve as a gathering place to discuss, explore, share experiences and cooperatively solve issues related to FOSS governance. As such, the site serves the open source community as a forum representative of open source users and providers worldwide.

Over the next few months we will contribute material to FOSSbazaar and assist in developing new best practice information for the community.  You can follow our progress on Shane Coughlan’s blog or through FOSSbazaar’s RSS feed.  Our work in this project will be an open dialogue, so if you have suggestions for useful governance material you want to see available just let us know.

This was Opendawn’s first opportunity to meet developers and FOSS enthusiasts from the island of Shikoku, and it was with great pleasure that we contributed to the first OSC held in this region by Begi.net.  Experts from Shimane, Kagawa and Tokyo were all present to share their views on what’s important in FOSS today.

For more information about code governance, how companies can adhere to FOSS requirements, and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.

For more information about FOSS resources and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.

The speech was well-attended and was followed by a series of private meetings.  This marked Opendawn’s first major engagement with the Japanese developer community, and provided an opportunity to build bridges between Eastern and Western experts.  Of particular interest was the IPA’s work in sponsoring new development, the research being made available by AIST, and the governance activities being undertaken by large telecommunication corporations.

For more information about code governance, how companies can adhere to FOSS requirements, and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.

“Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) allows all stakeholders to use, study, share and improve code for commercial or non-commercial reasons. However, engagement can still appear daunting to companies. They are monetizing other people’s creations, and, with the high economic value of FOSS, making a mistake is less easily forgiven than it might be in non-commercial circumstances.

Fortunately, there is a substantial body of documentation available to help commercial stakeholders learn how FOSS licenses work, how to communicate effectively to resolve issues, and how to understand what expectations might exist beyond simple legal requirements. There are also several organizations acting as neutral educators dedicated to licensing, development, and governance issues.“

You can read the full text on LWN.net.

For more information about code governance, how companies can adhere to FOSS requirements, and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.

More information is available from:
OSS Shimane Council Secretariat
Network Applied Communication Laboratory, Matsue 478-18 Terrsa 2nd Floor Annex, Matsue, Asahi-cho, 690-0003, Japan.
TEL: +81 (0) 852-28-9298 / E-Mail: info@shimane-oss.org

For more information about the economics of FOSS, its practical application and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.