Topic of spi-board (Re: Issue #5 - Please explain the topic of each mailing list)

This replies to both Joshua and Peter.

On 2016-10-10 13:08, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> On 10/10/2016 01:57 AM, Peter Cock wrote:
>
>>>> Anything that is confidential. For example, a potential legal issue.
>>>
>>> Why would a potential legal issue be confidential?
>>
>> I would have thought legal issues should be private by default.
>> e.g. Project X has noticed company Y appears to be using their
>> software in breach of license and wants advice and legal assistance.
>> Going public with allegations might be good strategy, but personally
>> I would want to discuss this situation with lawyers privately first.

I do not see why legal issues should be discussed privately, and I certainly think they should not be discussed privately by default.

It is fine to discuss an eventual situation with lawyers first, but I fail to see why that would have to be done privately.

>>
>> As an example of a legal issue which could be public, I asked
>> on behalf of Biopython (part of the Open Bioinformatics Foundation
>> umbrella) about *getting* legal advice on changing our open source
>> licence. SPI referred us to the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC).
>
> Right so there are many types of legal issues. The one you bring up is fine to be public. However there are others that are not.

Joshua, could you provide an example legal issue which is private (and, of course, which has to be)?

>
> Sincerely,
>
> JD
>

--
Filipus Klutiero
http://www.philippecloutier.com