International Free and Open Source Software Law Review: Announcements

IFOSSLR becomes a "rolling release" review!

2014-02-12T15:26:39+01:00

What does that mean?

A rolling release review means that articles are issued as soon as they become ready. To become ready, an article needs to be submitted, accepted for review by the Editorial Committee, passed onto peer-reviewers for a one-sided blind review, approved for publication by both the reviewers and the editor in charge, copyedited, approved in its final form and its layout needs to be completed. When all this process is finished, the article can be published in an electronic form, both in PDF and HTML, under a Creative Commons attribution-non derivatives licence allowing translation.

This means that an article submitted earlier or with a briefer editing process needs not to wait until the entire issue is ready; it can be in the public, receive a DOI number and be read and cited as soon as its time is ripe. This is a bonus for the diligent author who can expect that the results of her work are published as soon as possible. Good quality articles will receive a fast track for publication as from submission and articles with more lengthy review and editing will not delay the entire Issue.

What about printed edition, will there be one?

Printing is another matter, there is little point in printing anything short of an entire Issue. But IFOSSLR is more than a blog, and it's meant to remain a printed review as well, not because we love cutting trees but because of the (still) perceived higher value of printed matter.

Therefore, we are going to print Issues with more or less the same frequency, that is, every six months or so, or as soon as we reach a sufficient number of articles to call it "an Issue".

Good stuff, when can I submit my article then?

Ideally today, if it's ready. That means that it needs to be on topic, of interest for readership, able to further discussion on a relevant topic, adhering to the rules for writing and submitting an article. For how to write a new article using the official ODT template [http://ifosslr.org/public/ifosslr-article-template.ott] since the inception, please refer to the submission guidelines [http://www.ifosslr.org/index.php/ifosslr/about/submissions] and the additional instructions in the template itself.

Roll on IFOSSLR

Publication of Eighth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2013-12-08T21:39:29+01:00

Publication of Eighth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review, a perfect read for the holiday season

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce the eighth issue of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) which is available for free access on our website in HTML and PDF formats. IFOSS L. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

The Editorial by Alex Newson
"Red Flag Way: Exploring Copyright Protection, TRIPS and Open Source Software Licensing in the People's Republic of China" by Jim Saxton
"Expendable 'Written' ICT Policies in a Digital Era, No Broken Promise" by Hüseyin Tolu
"Who Owns the Project Name?" by Pamela S Chestek
"The European Union Public Licence (EUPL)" by Patrice-Emmanuel Schmitz
"Book Review: 'Thoughts on Open Innovation', edited by Shane Coughlan" by Kari Kärkkäinen
"Advancing the Software Package Data Exchange: An Update on SPDX" by Jilayne Lovejoy, Phil Odence and Scott Lamons
"Free and Open Source Software across the EU" by Gijs Hillenius

Following the principles of the Free and Open Source Software movement, IFOSS L. Rev. can be freely reproduced by anyone for commercial and non-commercial use. It is available in HTML and PDF formats at http://www.ifosslr.org.

Background and Editorial Committee

Since its launch in July 2009, IFOSS L. Rev. has lead the field in legal analysis and commentary around Free and Open Source Software issues. It continues in the spirit of structured analysis and quality legal reportage that is becoming the hallmark of the publication.

The journal's Editorial Committee is made up of members of the European Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in 2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS. Today, the network is the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in the field, containing over 280 specialists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of IFOSS L. Rev. thanks the NLnet Foundation for their support in founding the publication, the Mozilla Foundation, Open Invention Network and Black Duck Software for initial financial support, and Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSS L. Rev., their contribution is highly appreciated

Call For Papers

2013-05-09T10:08:14+02:00

Full-Length Articles

IFOSS L. Rev. accepts full-length researched articles on legal issues of interest to the publication's readership. All accepted submissions are peer-reviewed. No fixed length is prescribed, but 5000 - 15000 words is a useful indicative range.

Legislative Review

This section contains briefs on recent or upcoming changes to legislation relevant to Free and Open Source Software. Articles discuss the main implications of the legislative change, set out the context of prior law, and indicate how governmental policy and/or international law will affect implementation. All accepted submissions are peer-reviewed. No fixed length is prescribed, but 1500 - 3000 words is a useful indicative range.

Case Law Reports

The focus of this section is reports on recent developments in case law that offer commentary on the legal and policy implications of the decisions. Articles are peer-reviewed where appropriate. No fixed length is prescribed, but 500 - 3000 words is a useful indicative range.

Book Reviews

IFOSS L. Rev. accepts reviews of recent literature relevant to Free and Open Source Software. Book reviews are normally 500 - 2000 words in length, and should critically analyse the main arguments of the literature under examination. Further, they should indicate the reviewer's assessment of the literature's usefulness to IFOSS L. Rev's readership, its novelty of approach, its factual accuracy and its relevance to current debates.

Tech Watch

IFOSS L. Rev. prides itself on outstanding industry awareness and cross-disciplinary reach. Tech Watch is therefore offered as a forum to set contemporary technical and social issues in the Free and Open Source community into their legal context. These discussions may form the basis of subsequent detailed examination by other contributors. Tech Watch columns take a in short essay form, and are expected to be between 500 and 2000 words in length. They are usually written by non-lawyers.

Platform

IFOSS L. Rev. accepts articles for publication in the Platform section from all qualified authors. Because of the nature of this section as providing, as the name suggests, a platform for the expression of a personal view, submissions are reviewed by the full Editorial Committee, and both the detail and spirit of the standards of this publication are expected to be adhered to. In addition, because of its nature as a venue for reasoned opinion, due consideration for respect and professional courtesy are essential qualities for any article intended for publication in this section. Platform articles may be of any length.

Submission process

Articles can be submitted to IFOSS L. Rev. at: http://www.ifosslr.org. Submissions should adhere to the publication's editorial and style guidelines listed at: author guidelines.

Any administrative and bibliographic enquiries can be directed to admin@ifosslr.org

Publication of Seventh Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2013-04-05T16:26:49+02:00

Publication of Seventh Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce the seventh issue of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) which is available for free access on our website in HTML and PDF formats. IFOSS L. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

The Editorial by Daniel M German
"Copyleft, -right and the case law on APIs on both sides of the Atlantic" by Walter van Holst
"Lisping Copyleft: A Close Reading of the Lisp LGPL" by Eli Greenbaum
"The Rise and Evolution of the Open Source Software Foundation" by Paula Hunter and Stephen Walli
"FOSS in the Italian public administration: fundamental law principles" by Simone Aliprandi and Carlo Piana

Background and Editorial Committee

Financing and support:

Publication of Sixth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2012-06-12T12:14:04+02:00

Publication of Sixth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review, a perfect read for the summer

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce the sixth issue of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) which is available for free access on our website in HTML and PDF formats. IFOSS L. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

"Open licensing and databases" by Simone Aliprandi
"The GPL 'Liberty or Death!' Clause: An Israeli Case Study" by Eli Greenbaum
"The Gift that Keeps on Giving - Distribution and Copyleft in Open Source Software License" by Heather Meeker
"Towards a Functional Licence for Open Hardware" by Andrew Katz
"The CERN Open Hardware Licence" by Myriam Ayass and Javier Serrano

Background and Editorial Committee

Financing and support:

Publication of Fifth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2011-12-21T14:05:44+01:00

Publication of Fifth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review, a perfect read for the holiday season

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce issue five of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) is available for free access on our website in HTML and PDF format. IFOSSL. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

"Interoperability and open standards: the key to a real openness" by Simone Aliprandi
"Compatibility Of The Licensing Of Embedded Patents With Open Source Licensing Terms" by Iain G. Mitchell QC and Stephen Mason
"Patentable Subject Matter: The View from Europe" by Avi Freeman
"Open source licensing notices in Web applications" by Arnoud Engelfriet
"Groklaw – Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going" by Mark Webbink
"Free and Open Source Software Compliance: An Operational Perspective" by Philip L Koltun

Background and Editorial Committee

Since its launch in July 2009, IFOSSL. Rev. has lead the field in legal analysis and commentary around Free and Open Source issues. It continues in the spirit of structured analysis and quality legal reportage that is becoming the hallmark of the publication.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of IFOSS L. Rev. thanks the NLnet Foundation for their support in founding the publication, the Mozilla Foundation, Open Invention Network and Black Duck Software for initial financial support, advertising sponsors HP for their current financial support, and Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSS L. Rev., their contribution is highly appreciated.

Publication of Fourth Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2011-02-03T10:54:48+01:00

London, 2nd February 2011:

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce issue four of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) is now available. IFOSSL. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

"A Tale of Two Tragedies – A plea for open standards" by Maurts Dolmans, Carlo Piana
"Project Harmony: Inbound transfer of rights in FOSS Projects" by Amanda Brock
"Software Patents in Europe: the patentability of computer implemented inventions at the EPO" by Noam Shemtov
"Software Interactions and the GPL" by Malcolm Bain
"Affirmative action in procurement for open standards and FLOSS" by Mathieu Paapst
"Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX™) Specification" by Kate Stewart, Phil Odence, Esteban Rockett

Background and Editorial Committee

The latest issue follows a successful launch in July 2009 and two well-received subsequent issues in December 2009 and June 2010. It continues in the spirit of structured analysis and quality legal reportage that is becoming the hallmark of the publication.

The journal's Editorial Committee is made up of members of the European Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in 2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS. Today, the network is the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in the field, containing over 200 specialists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of IFOSS L. Rev. thanks the NLnet Foundation and the Mozilla foundation for initial financial and administrative support, and Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSS L. Rev., their contribution is highly appreciated.

Contacts:

Andrew Katz, Editor: +44 (0) 7970 835001

Amanda Brock, Editor: +44 (0) 780 9389878

Call for papers

2010-07-14T15:21:44+02:00

The 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev. or IFOSSLR) is a peer reviewed biannual journal for high-level analysis and debate about Free and Open Source Software legal issues. It is published by an independent Editorial Committee and seeks submissions from qualified authors in a variety of research areas, blending the strengths of legal rigour and outstanding technical and community awareness.

Full-Length Articles

Legislative Review

Case Law Reports

Book Reviews

Tech Watch

Platform

Submission process

Articles can be submitted to IFOSS L. Rev. at: http://www.ifosslr.org. Submissions should adhere to the publication's editorial and style guidelines listed at: author guidelines.

Any administrative and bibliographic enquiries can be directed to admin@ifosslr.org

Publication of Third Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2010-06-17T13:52:48+02:00

London, 17th June 2010:

The Editorial Committee is delighted to announce issue three of the 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSS L. Rev.) is now available. IFOSSL. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate around Free and Open Source Software legal issues.

The latest issue includes the following papers from leading experts:

“Copyright in Open Source Software – Understanding the Boundaries” by Omar Johnny, Marc Miller and Mark Webbink
“Lawyers in the Bazaar: Challenges and Opportunities for Open Source Legal Communities” by Luis Villa
“Package Review as a Part of Free and Open Source Software Compliance” by Martin von Willebrand and Mikko-Pekka Partanen
“GNU GPL 2.0 and 3.0: obligations to include license text, and provide source code” by Neil B rown
“Italian Constitutional Court gives way to Free-Software friendly laws” by Carlo Piana

Click here to download the entire issue as a PDF file.

Background and Editorial Committee

The latest issue follows a successful launch in July 2009 and a well-received second issue in December 2009. It continues in the spirit of structured analysis and quality legal reportage that is becoming the hallmark of the publication.

The journal's Editorial Committee is made up of members of the European Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in 2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS. Today, the network is the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in the field, containing over 200 specialists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of IFOSS L. Rev. thanks the NLnet Foundation for administrative support, the Mozilla foundation for initial financial support, advertising sponsors Open Invention Network, HP and Blackduck for their current financial support, and Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSS L. Rev., their contribution is highly appreciated.

Contacts:

Andrew Katz, Editor: +44 (0) 7970 835001

Amanda Brock, Editor: +44 (0) 780 9389878

Call for papers

2010-02-19T23:04:27+01:00

The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev. or IFOSSLR) is a collaborative legal publication aiming to increase knowledge and understanding among lawyers about Free and Open Source Software issues. It is the first publication to focus specifically on this field, and its independent Editorial Committee is seeking submissions from qualified authors in a variety of research areas.

The topics covered by the publication include copyright, licence implementation, licence interpretation, patents applicable to software and business methods, standards applicable to software, case law, statutory changes, license enforcement, competition law applicable to software, economics analysis, business models and due diligence.

Issue 3 of IFOSS L. Rev. will be released on June 8th 2010. To be considered for inclusion in this issue articles must be submitted by April 1st.

Issue 4 of IFOSS L. Rev. will be released on December 7th 2010. To be considered for inclusion in this issue articles must be submitted by October 1st.

Full-Length Articles

Legislative Review

Case Law Reports

Book Reviews

Tech Watch

Platform

Submission process

Submissions are now being sought for publication in 2010 and beyond. You can submit a paper online using our template in ODT or RTF format. Before submitting your work please read the author guidelines.

Any questions can be directed to admin@ifosslr.org

Printed Copies of IFOSS L. Rev. Now Available To Order

2010-02-03T17:02:14+01:00

The Editorial Committee of the International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev.) is proud to announce a new print-on-demand service for readers of the journal.

Each issue of IFOSS L. Rev. is currently available freely online and as a downloadable PDF file. The new service will complement this by providing an affordable way to get physical copies for individuals, academic institutions and law offices. All proceeds from sales will go toward the development of the journal.

Volume 1, Issue 2 of the journal (see table of contents and downloadable PDF) is available today from Lulu.com. Previous issue availability will follow shortly.

To find out more or to discuss custom order requirements contact admin@ifosslr.org.

--Graeme West, Editorial Coordinator

On behalf of the Editorial Committee

Publication of Second Issue - International Free and Open Source Software Law Review

2010-01-28T06:56:42+01:00

London, 28 January 2010

The Editorial Committee of the International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev.) is proud to announce the immediate availability of the publication's second issue. IFOSS L. Rev. is a peer-reviewed biannual legal review dedicated to analysis and debate about Free and Open Source Software legal issues. It is published by an independent Editorial Committee.

"IFOSSLR may be hard to pronounce, but it is easy to read, informative new publication. I look forward to future issues."

- William Patry, Senior Copyright Counsel, Google Inc.

"Exchange of ideas is the life principle of free software. This journal is a crucial part of the exchange of ideas making free software law."

- Eben Moglen, Software Freedom Law Centre

Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Review includes articles such as:

“Open Source Policies and Processes For In-Bound Software” by Karen F. Copenhaver
“Corporate Governance and Open Source” by Richard Kemp
“The Paris Court of Appeals GPL case” by Martin von Willebrand
“Trademarks in Open Source” by Tiki Dare and Harvey Anderson
“Standards, Competition and IP in Open Source” by Susanna Shepherd
“Back to the Future: IP and property rights” by Iain G. Mitchell Q.C.

In accordance with the principles of the Free and Open Source Software movement, IFOSS L. Rev. is available under a licence allowing it to be freely reproduced by individuals and organisations, commercial and non-commercial alike, provided that the content and authorship of the articles is respected.

Issue two is available without charge online at http://www.ifosslr.org and in PDF format.

Background and Editorial Committee

The latest issue follows the highly successful launch of the inaugural issue in July 2009, and continues in the spirit of structured analysis and quality legal reportage established by the initial issue.

The publication's Editorial Committee is made up of members of the European Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in 2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS. Today, the network is the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in the field, containing over 200 specialists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support

The Editorial Committee of IFOSS L. Rev. thanks the NLnet Foundation for administrative support, the Mozilla foundation for financial support, and the Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSS L. Rev., their contribution is highly appreciated.

Contacts

Andrew Katz, Editor: +44 (0) 7970 835001

Amanda Brock, Editor: +44 (0) 780 9389878

Call for papers

2009-11-19T12:04:40+01:00

The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev. or IFOSSLR) is a peer reviewed biannual journal for high-level analysis and debate about Free and Open Source Software legal issues. It is published by an independent Editorial Committee and seeks submissions from qualified authors in a variety of research areas, blending the strengths of legal rigour and outstanding technical and community awareness.

IFOSS L. Rev. is the first legal publication to focus specifically on issues facing Free and Open Source Software, a highly successful community-driven development paradigm that rewards cooperative production. We would like you to be part of the discussion.

Full-Length Articles

Legislative Review

Case Law Reports

Book Reviews

IFOSS L. Rev. accepts reviews of recent literature relevant to Free and Open Source Software. Book reviews are normally 500 – 2000 words in length, and should critically analyse the main arguments of the literature under examination. Further, they should indicate the reviewer's assessment of the literature's usefulness to IFOSS L. Rev's readership, its novelty of approach, its factual accuracy and its relevance to current debates.

Tech Watch

Platform

Submission process

Any questions can be directed to admin@ifosslr.org

LAUNCH of INTERNATIONAL FREE and OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE LAW REVIEW

2009-07-13T17:44:46+02:00

PRESS RELEASE

Contacts: Andrew Katz, Editor: +44 (0)7970 835001

Amanda Brock, Editor: +44(0)780 9389878

LAUNCH of INTERNATIONAL FREE and OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE LAW REVIEW

Editorial Committee, International Free and Open Source Software Law Review, London.

London, 13 July 2009.

Today sees the launch of a prestigious new legal Journal which aims to bring the highest standards to bear in analysis and comment on all aspects of Free and Open Source software.

The 'International Free and Open Source Software Law Review' (IFOSSLR) is a peer reviewed biannual journal for high-level analysis and debate about Free and Open Source Software legal issues and is published by an independent Editorial Committee.

Free and Open Source Software has increasingly come to challenge traditional concepts of intellectual property and collaboration by allowing every user to use, study, share and and improve code, facilitating the creation of elegant and effective software that now lies at the heart of the mainstream technology industry. IFOSSLR aims to foster increased understanding and promote best practice for all parties engaging with this approach to licensing.

Welcoming this initiative, Karen Copenhaver, Partner Choate Hall & Stewart LLP and counsel to the Linux Foundation commented: "There are many reasons why The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review will be warmly received in legal circles, in the free and open source community and in the wider software industry. For many years the focus in the legal community has been on raising questions about free and open source software licenses and development models. With this journal we have turned the page and begun to focus on the answers. It is rewarding to see lawyers adopting collaborative models to share knowledge and work product, arrive at common understandings, and further the development of the necessary legal ecosystem around free and open source software. It is also significant that this international journal reflects the global community that has formed around these models. My congratulations and thanks go to the editorial board that worked so well together to create this valuable resource."

Expanding on this theme, Keith Bergelt, chief executive officer of the Open Invention Network, said "the intersection of open source and the law yields unique opportunities for new insights to be drawn and leadership to be exhibited as we move inexorably toward an era of unrivaled collaborative development. It is only fitting that this journal focus on Legal issues in open source that relate to patents and beyond as we need a forum to discuss and debate critical legal issues so that the full benefit of open source as a modality of invention and innovation can be realized."

In concord with the aims of the Free and Open Source Software movement, IFOSSLR will be available printed and on-line under a licence allowing it to be freely reproduced by individuals and organisations, commercial and non-commercial alike, provided that the content and authorship of the articles is respected.

The first issue is now available on the Internet to be read and downloaded without charge at www.ifosslr.org. Paper copies can also be ordered via the website.

Click here to browse IFOSSLR Volume 1, Issue 1 online

Click here to download a PDF file of IFOSSLR Volume 1, Issue 1.

Background Information:

The Editorial Committee

The Editorial Committee of IFOSSLR is made up of members of the European Legal Network, a group founded by Free Software Foundation Europe in 2007 to connect legal experts engaging with FOSS. Today the network is the world's largest community of lawyers and licensing specialists in the field, containing over 200 specialists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

Financing and support:

The Editorial Committee of IFOSSLR thanks the NLnet Foundation for administrative support, the Mozilla foundation for financial support, and the Free Software Foundation Europe for establishing the European Legal Network. While none of these organisations has any editorial control over IFOSSLR, their contribution is highly appreciated.

ENDS