Linux Foundation Takes Reins of FOSSology Open Source Licensing Tools
Open source licenses only work well when people use them properly. That's why the Linux Foundation has made compliance with licenses such as the GPL and the Apache License a more central focus this week by announcing that it will now host the FOSSology project.
Open source licenses only work well when people use them properly. That's why the Linux Foundation has made compliance with licenses such as the GPL and the Apache License a more central focus this week by announcing that it will now host the FOSSology project.
Founded by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) in 2007, FOSSology provides a set of software tools that let users scan source code to check for copyright and licensing terms. It can work with individual programs or a large suite of software.
If you're developing something as big as a desktop or server GNU/Linux distribution, solutions such as FOSSology are very useful for making sure that all of the hundreds or thousands of individual programs in your platform comply properly with copyright and licensing terms. License compliance is an especially pertinent issue for the open source ecosystem, where the distributor of a platform ultimately takes responsibility for the software he or she sells or gives away, even if most of the code was borrowed from third-party programmers.
Beginning Oct. 5, the Linux Foundation will host FOSSology, whose users include the law firms HH Partners and Sullivan and Worcester, as well as technology companies Bloomberg, HP, Siemens and Wind River.
According to Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin, the move will help provide resources to the open source community for ensuring open source licensing compliance.
"As Linux and open source have become the primary building blocks for creating today’s most innovative technologies, projects like FOSSology are more relevant than ever," Zemlin said. "FOSSology’s proven track record for improving efficiency in license compliance is the perfect complement to a suite of open compliance initiatives hosted at Linux Foundation. This work is among the most important work that we all do."
The Linux Foundation announced this news at the LinuxCon Europe and Embedded Linux Conference Europe, which is ongoing this week in Dublin.
