Brian W. Carver -- Share Alike

Free Software Licensing and the GNU GPL

On Friday I'm heading over to Stanford's Law School (you can tell Boalt Hall hasn't indoctrinated me yet!) for a Free Software Foundation Conference entitled: Free Software Licensing and the GNU GPL It was covered on Slashdot recently. The virtual flyer for the day says,

This program is designed to offer lawyers and businesspeople, working in software licensing, a complete introduction to the legal issues surrounding the development and distribution of free software, such as the GNU operating system, the Linux operating system kernel, etc.

During lunch, we will hear a presentation by Professor Lawrence Lessig, noted author and law professor at Stanford University. Professor Lessig's presentation, titled "Free Software: On What Side Should the Law Be?", will address how and why the law is not netural with respect to free software.

I'm not a lawyer yet, but they said I could come, so I'm looking forward to learning something. I'm afraid that information will be either at one of two extremes.

1. So basic as regards the nature of Free Software that I already know it. or
2. So detailed as regards the law, that I won't have a clue what they are talking about.

I'll keep hoping there's some stuff in the middle that I both don't know and can grasp and will update this location once we find out if those hopes are realized.

Posted by Brian at August 4, 2003 10:12 PM | TrackBack