First off, let’s talk about what we are not going to do. We are not going to regurgitate misinformation that you can already find by surfing the Internet. We are not going to weasel our way out of hard decisions by suggesting draconian policies that make open source usage hard.
Rather, we are intellectual property law attorneys that happen to have extensive experience writing code ourselves. We understand the legal ins and outs of open source, but we also understand coding.
Establish an open source usage policy
Build an open source compliance committee
Learn how to effectively comply with open source licenses
Teach you how to navigate and manage large quantities of license types in an automated manner that removes most if not all pain points for developers
Teach you how to build a company culture that allows and even encourages responsibly contribute back and participation in open source communities
Teach you how to identify and protect proprietary code, even when using open source
Help identify and deal with licensing
Help with security and vulnerability issues surrounding integration of open source;
Help with dealing with data breaches and other legal consequences
Help you build operational procedures that effectively manage open source
Help you deal with purchasing, quality, and support issues,
Help you with third party code;
Help you manage and deal with developer contractors and other third parties.
Help with open source audits
Help with evaluations for mergers and acquisitions
The first step is usually a kickoff meeting where we discuss the scope of work, talk about the immediate needs, and provide background education, answer questions, etc.
This is not some high level “aspirational” fluff. We help develop a plan that satisfies the needs of all stakeholders, especially the developers, managers, and legal teams.
We will be right there as open source compliance unfolds. We help every step of the way, ensuring that issues are resolved, problems are addressed, and everyone gains value from the process.