[Discuss] discuss Digest, Vol 10, Issue 11

[Matt Maier]

I honestly don't understand why it's a question. No amount of intention
ever makes a project open source. Only releasing the files so that everyone
else can participate makes a project open source. The difference between
"open" and "not open" is public files. That's literally the only
difference. So prior to releasing the files to the public, the project is
not open. After releasing them, the project is open.

If a project owner intends to release the project files at some point in
the future then they can say they intend for the project to be open, but
they can't say that it is open; at least not yet.

Maybe OSHWA could have an "open pending" mark kind of like "patent
pending." Maybe it could be good for a year. That way project owners could
put "open source" next to their project, even when the files haven't
actually been released yet, and they'd have a reasonable amount of time to
finish the process later.

>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2013 10:52:21 -0500
> From: Tom Igoe <tom.igoe at gmail.com>
> To: The Open Source Hardware Association Discussion List
>         <discuss at lists.oshwa.org>
> Subject: Re: [Discuss] discuss Digest, Vol 10, Issue 6
> Message-ID: <30F586C7-32FA-4039-BE62-267B02D9D3B8 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I'd agree with that, though it's an interesting question for things like
> Kickstarter campaigns.  Do you release the files when you start your
> kickstarter campaign, or when you ship?
>
> r.
>
> On Mar 2, 2013, at 10:49 AM, David A. Mellis wrote:
>
> > Personally, I think it's okay to use "open-source hardware" and the logo
> as long as the design files are released with the product. Before release,
> the distinction between "is" and "will be" seems like a subtle one -- for
> everything about the product, not just whether or not it's open-source.
> >
>
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