If you write or contribute to Open Source, you will inevitably need to interact with the legal aspects of your contribution. We normally just think about the Licensing aspects of Open Source, but all open source projects really need to consider all parts of what is termed “Intellectual Property”. This session, specifically oriented to the open source community, both contributors and users, individuals and companies, will provide an overview of what Intellectual Property really is, why awareness and understanding is vital when engaging with open source, and how to ensure compliance to allow you to make the most of the benefits that Open Source provides. You will leave with a solid working knowledge of not only Licensing, and the different between various Open Source Licenses, such as BSD and GPL, but also patents and marks.
