Hope this is useful -------- Forwarded Message -------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Press/[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Free Standards Group and OSDL to Merge Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:57:27 -0500
I'm pleased to share some news about a client of mine, the Free Standards
Group (FSG), which signed an agreement yesterday to combine forces with
Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) to form a new organization ? The Linux
Foundation. The result of this consolidation will be to dedicate the
resources of the combined membership to "accelerate the growth of Linux by
providing a comprehensive set of services to compete effectively with
closed platforms."
Jim Zemlin, currently the Executive Director of FSG, will lead the new
organization as its first Executive Director. The Linux Foundation will
include as members every major company in the Linux industry, including
Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Intel, NEC, Novell, Oracle and Red Hat, as well
as many community groups, universities and industry end users.
For those of you that are not familiar with one or both of these
organizations, over the last six years each has provided major support for
the continuing advancement of Linux. Now those efforts will be funded and
coordinated as part of a single business plan that will enable the entire
Linux ecosystem to work together to provide a breadth and depth of
essential services that no single community member, entity or company
could realistically bring to bear alone. This shared resources strategy
(like an open source project plan) will permit members to collaborate on
platform development and further accelerate the growth of a vibrant Linux
market that will benefit of everyone: end users, the community, developers
and industry.
The activities of the new organization will include:
Protecting Linux by sponsoring key Linux developers and providing legal
services: These former OSDL activities include economically supporting
Linux Torvalds and other key kernel developers so that they may remain
independent and able to dedicate their full time to improving Linux.
The Linux Foundation will also manage the Linux trademark), and offer
legal intellectual property protection to developers through such
initiatives as the Open Source as Prior Art project), the Patent
Commons), and sponsorship of the Linux Legal Defense Fund.
Standardizing Linux and improving it as a platform for software
development: This has been the principal mission of FSG since its
inception, and The Linux Foundation will continue to offer application
developers the kinds of standardization services and support that make
Linux attractive as a target for their development efforts. These
resources include the Linux Standard Base (LSB) and the Linux Developer
Network. Today, all major Linux distributions comply with the LSB.
Providing a neutral forum for Collaboration and Promotion: The Linux
Foundation, while it will not build Linux, will act as a neutral
spokesperson to advance the interests of Linux and "respond with
authority" to disinformation and other attacks. It will also foster
innovation by hosting collaboration events among all stakeholders to
solve pressing issues facing the Linux ecosystem in areas such as
desktop interfaces, accessibility, printing, and application packaging,
among many others.
The Linux Foundation will have three offices: in San Francisco,
California; Beaverton, Oregon; and Tokyo Japan, with additional staff
located in Indiana and Moscow.
The final closing should occur on or about February 2.
Further details are here:
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=200701211354
0789
As always, please let me know if you would like to be removed from this
list.
Andrew Updegrove
Gesmer Updegrove LLP
40 Broad Street
Boston, MA 02109
v: 617/350-6800
f: 617/350-6878
http://www.gesmer.com
http://www.consortiuminfo.org
http://www.opensourcelegal.org
*****************************************
Any tax information or written tax advice contained herein (including any
attachments) is not intended to be and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the
purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. (The
foregoing legend has been affixed pursuant to U.S. Treasury Regulations
governing tax practice.)
Electronic mail from Gesmer Updegrove LLP, 40 Broad Street, Boston, MA 02109.
Voice: (617) 350-6800, Fax: (617) 350-6878. This communication is intended
only for the use of the individual or entity named as the addressee. It may
contain information which is privileged and/or confidential under applicable
law. If you are not the intended recipient or such recipient's employee or
agent, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copy or disclosure of
this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please immediately notify Christopher O'Sullivan at
(617) 350-6800 and notify the sender by electronic mail. Please expunge this
communication without making any copies. Thank you for your cooperation.
--
G. Roderick Singleton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
OpenOffice.org
smime.p7s
Description: S/MIME cryptographic signature
