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Posts: 1,513 | Thanked: 2,248 times | Joined on Mar 2006 @ US
#25
Originally Posted by Jaffa View Post
As I said, it's already raised this and discussions have started:

http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...1&postcount=20

The process here was very open and collaborative with the council. Obviously, I wasn't on the council during the Nintendo affair, but I get the impression Nokia have learnt how to improve their collaboration with the community in these circumstances.
Yes, I read that post. It suggested everything was being discussed and governance was being revisited and , but wasn't specific and I am specifically proposing the legal entity that qgil suggested.


Originally Posted by Jaffa View Post
Whoever is running the show, ultimately someone - and very possibly an individual - is going to get a C&D letter like the one Nokia got. Unless we built up a large legal fund (or had lawyers willing to work pro bono) the result on this Chromium decision would've been the same: remove the package as an act of good faith whilst you try to have a dialogue to reach an amicable settlement.
If for example a non-profit foundation is formed, then it would insulate individuals from liability as well as Nokia. Not to say that the C&D letter won't be received, but the situation changes radically in that instance. If Nokia is clearly out of the picture, then they don't have much incentive to threaten a non-profit foundation. While the decision not to offer a piece of software may be the same in a particular instance, there is more latitude.

Also, there are benefits to such a structure in other circumstances which is why Linux Foundation exists, etc., to support the software rather than make profits.
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