The Open Source Initiative reaches out to Washington DC

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) has been reforming itself into a more outward-facing organisation and has now taken another step in that process by announcing that it will be hosting a "small open source license clinic" at the Library of Congress, Washington DC, in May. The event is designed to bring together individuals, organisations and government agencies to help all better understand the nature of open source licences. Discussions will also look at identifying problems unique to government. Although a small event, it is the first of what will, hopefully, be many, as the OSI pursues its "non-profit educational mission".

The event will be moderated by Luis Villa, Deputy General Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation and OSI board director, and invited presenters including other OSI board directors: Jim Jagielski, Apache Foundation President and Mike Millinkovich, Executive Director at the Eclipse Foundation. Vicki Allums, General Counsel, Defense Information Systems Agency, Department of Defense, and David Wheeler, Analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses will also be on the panel. There will be a round table discussion of the key licensing issues. The organisers remind potential attendees that any advice should not be construed as legal advice and attendees should consult counsel before making decisions. The event requires registration in advance.

According to a tweet by OSI President Simon Phipps, the OSI will be announcing a Community Summit in Washington DC soon.

(djwm)