Authored Content

Two government buildings

Should API-restricting licenses qualify as open source?

A look at how a closely-watched legal case about copyright and APIs might affect open source licensing
Richard Fontana (Red Hat) 30 Jun 2020 4 comments
Writing Hand

Why CLAs aren't good for open source

Few legal topics in open source are as controversial as contributor license agreements.
Richard Fontana (Red Hat) 28 Feb 2019 2 comments
patent illustration

An insider's look at drafting the GPLv3 license

On the 11th anniversary of the GPLv3 license, learn about its lasting contributions to free and open source software.
Richard Fontana (Red Hat) 29 Jun 2018
A gavel.

Top 10 open source legal stories that shook 2017

Take a look at some of the most important legal cases from the past year, including GitHub's revision of their Terms of Service.
Richard Fontana (Red Hat) 27 Feb 2018 1 comment
A brain design in a head

Containers, the GPL, and copyleft: No reason for concern

Wondering how open source licensing affects Linux containers? Here's what you need to know.
Richard Fontana (Red Hat) 24 Jan 2018
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Authored Comments

Commented on 2 Jul 2020
Should API-restricting licenses qualify as open source?
Hi Pam, The "open source-like license" I am referring to in that paragraph is not CAL 1.0 (the license approved by the OSI earlier this year), but rather CAL 1.0-Beta, the earlier draft originally submitted by Van Lindberg...
Commented on 13 Aug 2016
Hovalin: An open source 3D printed violin
CC BY-NC 4.0 is not an open source license, and by not permitting commercial use it is inconsistent with open source principles. I would suggest that this article be revised to clarify this point; this is not an "open source...
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