Collabora Outsources to Microsoft, Microsoft LF ('Linux' Foundation) Making Excuses For Nationalistic and Racist Policies
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GamingOnLinux ☛ Collabora take over libsurvive development an open source VR lighthouse tracking system [Ed: Moving to GitHub sucks and means moving to Microsoft and proprietary tools]
Collabora have announced they've taken over development of libsurvive, an open source lighthouse tracking system for VR. It's now moved over to their GitHub to continue to expand.
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The New Stack ☛ US Blocks Open Source 'Help' From These Countries [Ed: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols is a stenographer for LF; now he's talking for the LF in a Microsoft- and Microsoft LF-funded site]
When I became a programmer many moons ago, the last thing I ever thought I’d need to know about was intellectual [sic] property [sic] (IP) law. Oh well, more fool me. Now, a generation later, a new generation of developers find themselves faced with government regulations, which will complicate their lives.
LWN and Linux Foundation:
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The Linux Foundation on global regulations and sanctions
The Linux Foundation has published its long-awaited article on international sanctions and open-source development. This is the reasoning that went into the removal of a group of Russian kernel maintainers in October.
It is disappointing that the open source community cannot operate independently of international sanctions programs, but these sanctions are the law of each country and are not optional. Many developers work on open source projects in their spare time, or for fun. Dealing with U.S. and international sanctions was unlikely on the list of things that most (or very likely any) open source developers thought they were signing up for. We hope that in time relevant authorities will clarify that open source and standards activities may continue unabated. Until that time, however, with the direct and indirect sponsorship of developers by companies, the intersection of sanctions on corporate entities leaves us in a place where we cannot ignore the potential risks.
Navigating Global Regulations and Open Source: US OFAC Sanctions
Open source is a fundamental part of software supply chains and production systems. As such, it has reached a stage of maturity that requires new ways to deal with a complex world. The Linux Foundation has always pushed to promote and protect open collaboration in open source software and open standards-related activities. The model of allowing the brightest technical minds from around the world to contribute to an open commons has repeatedly proven its value over the past few decades. Protecting this commons is essential and something the Linux Foundation will continue to defend.
However, increased cybersecurity risk and regulatory compliance are creating burdens on open source communities that must be met. There are newer regulations such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act, where we and others in the open source ecosystem invested great energy to educate regulators on the issues and concerns and carve out explicit exemptions for open source. Sanctions regulations are often very old regulations that never contemplated exemptions for the type of open collaboration that underpins modern daily life, societal systems, and business. The Linux Foundation is committed to open source and global collaboration and doing so responsibly while complying with laws and regulations where the foundation and our community members operate. Understanding the legal frameworks within which we all collaborate is essential to maintaining global collaboration.
Former Microsofter:
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'Linux' Foundation Makes Statement About Banning Russian Programmers (3 Months Late)
"It is disappointing that the open source community cannot operate independently of international sanctions programs," says 'Linux' Foundation.
Ben Cotton:
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Open source projects don't exist separately from the outside world - Duck Alignment Academy
For some people, contributing to an open source project is a diversion from the world around them. It’s a fun way to work on well-defined problems with a community of like-minded people. But it’s important to remember that open source contributors — and their projects — still exist in the real world.
Global projects are going to have interactions with laws that relate to global relations. For example, the Linux Foundation recently issued guidance on complying with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions. Projects that host services have had to pay attention to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). And everyone is trying to figure out what Europe’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will mean for open source projects.
Laws aren’t the only effect of the outside world on projects. When the COVID-19 pandemic was in the most acute phase in the spring of 2020, I was filled with worry and uncertainty, as were many others. I worried about my family, but I also worried about the Fedora community. As a leader in the community, I felt a sense of responsibility to make sure everyone was doing well. When governments enact laws hostile to the identity of members of the community, I worry for them.