Apps - options, pros and cons
Problem Statement
The Linux Foundation (LF) owns the MeeGo trademark and hosts the MeeGo.com infrastructure through an arrangement with OSU. They have zero involvement in the running of the infrastructure.
Community OBS (C.OBS) is a hosted service that compiles source packaged to binary packages and then distributes the binaries. It is located at https://build.pub.meego.com/ and has been operational since August 2010.
The MeeGo community are developing a service known as apps.meego.com
This service is a web application which indexes certain community vetted, OSI-approved-licensed applications built by individual community members at the C.OBS
LF have refused permission to :
- use the domain apps.meego.com or apps.for.meego.com to identify the service
- host the apps.meego.com service within the MeeGo infrastructure at OSU
LF have not (currently) refused:
- the continued operation of the C.OBS and the MeeGo.com infrastructure to build and distribute apps.
In private conversations the LF have justified the refusal as:
- If an app is accused of violating a patent then the LF could be at legal risk from linking to it.
- This only applies to individually contributed apps and not to corporate apps because there is a risk of 'dark corners' where an app may be published for many years without the hypothetical violation being discovered.
LF are (currently) happy to distribute all binaries produced by the C.OBS. [editors note: no, this doesn't make sense to him but it's not a typo - it may be a misunderstanding]
Possible Solutions
These possible solutions are put forward for the community to consider.
Retain apps.meego.com and C.OBS
Use existing infrastructure and host apps.meego.com through LF and at OSU.
Pros:
- Expected solution
- Maintains integrity of MeeGo project
- Linux Foundation seen to support and host Opensource Apps
- Single organisational unit (resource, infrastructure, legal entity)
- Potentiallly hundreds of thousands of users will download MeeGo apps for the first production devices with the MeeGo label (the N9/950) from meego.com.
- This service will continue to be available for as long as the LF wants to support the MeeGo opensource community.
Cons:
- LF at incremental risk for linking to possibly patent-infringing apps (over and above existing risk for distributing same apps and linking to and distributing UX, wifi, bluetooth, and other OSS apps included in MeeGo)
- LF have rejected this option and have said they do not have the resource at this time to provide a statement giving their reasons.
Options:
- Authors of Apps to be indexed in apps.meego.com enter some kind of legal agreement that is compatible with whatever OSI license the App has to minimise LF's exposure to risk.
Editors Comment:
If LF is happy to continue to *distribute* apps from repo.pub.meego.com and to allow the community OBS to provide index/search/linking services then it is not clear what additional risk is taken by hosting apps.meego.com
Move apps.meego.com to apps.formeego.org
Create a new set of infrastructure in EU under the formeego.org domain.
Leave C.OBS app building and distribution at meego.com
Pros:
- LF not exposed to legal risk of search/linking from apps.formeego.org
Cons:
- LF still exposed to legal risk of distribution and search/linking from build.pub.meego.com
- LF seen as 'preventing the distribution of OSI apps and sucumbing to patent FUD'
- MeeGo project members forbidden from linking to apps in meego.com domains?
- Very unclear position for:
- any Community Build and distribution indivdual users
- any Community Build and distribution projects (N900 CE)
- home projects in core MeeGo Build and distribution
- use of meego.com identity at forapps.meego.com
- use of bugs.meego.com for community apps
- Duplicate infrastructure
Editors Comment:
No idea how this (currently favoured) solution solves the stated problem. Makes one wonder if the problem to be solved is openly stated.
Move apps.meego.com and Community Build and Distribution to formeego.org
As previous but also move Community Build and Distribution systems.
Pros:
- LF not exposed to legal risk of search/linking or distribution of apps.formeego.org
Cons:
- LF seen as unwilling to support OSS apps
- MeeGo possibly seen as unwilling to support community apps, projects and community contributions
- Duplicate infrastructure
- Very unclear position for
- use of meego.com identity at forapps.meego.com
- apps and any projects for meego
Comment:
Probably the solution most favoured by Android, Apple and Microsoft. Will almost certainly alienate the entire OSS community from MeeGo.
Move all MeeGo infrastructure to formeego.org and away from LF
This sounds more dramatic than it really is.
Establish a non-profit organisation. Fund organisation to be able to support hosting and distribution services.
Retain minimal infrastructure at LF to support: www.meego.com and repos.meego.com
Nominally move all meego.com infrastructure to formeego.org. This includes core OBS, community OBS, mailing lists, wiki, Bugzilla etc
Retain the same community organisation - including the TSG, CO, IT etc etc.
Pros:
- The LF has a clear role as a the trademark and compliance owner for MeeGo project
- MeeGo.com is the place to distribute final and compliant code
- formeego.org does not expose LF to any legal risk
- LF is not seen as succumbing to FUD
- Non-profit is not an attractive legal target
- The project and community take complete charge of their activities
Cons:
- More sleepless nights for the IT team
- Bookmarks become invalid (eventually - this could be phased)
- .... none really
Options:
- use another name (bikeshed)
- Leave infrastructure physically in OSU.
- Move infrastructure /organisation to a different legal jurisdiction
Editors Comment:
This approach is accepted in the OSS world: Fedora / RedHAT and openSuSE / SuSE being two of the better known examples. The LF do not need to get involved in the normal operations of the project and are clearly manage the trademark and compliance.
Given the LF's inability to support community software distribution
this is, IMHO, the best medium-term approach although it does sound
slightly melodramatic.