What: The FSF Licensing and Compliance Lab will work with experienced lawyers and professionals to provide a full day continuing legal education (CLE) seminar on GPL Enforcement and Legal Ethics for legal professionals, law students, free software developers, and anyone interested in licensing issues.

Where: Raleigh Convention Center, room 205, 300 S. Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601

When: Wednesday, October 16, 9:30 - 17:00 (doors open at 9:00)

Contact: For questions, email the FSF's program manager at resources@fsf.org

Registration: Registration for this event is now closed.

The Free Software Foundation's (FSF) Seminar on GPL Enforcement and Legal Ethics will be held on Wednesday, October 16th at Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC. Attendees of the full day seminar will learn about copyleft and other important concepts in the GNU family of licenses, best practices in the free software licensing enforcement process, ethical considerations important to any lawyer working with clients involved in free software, and other current topics in free software licensing. We invite legal professionals, law students, free software developers, and anyone interested in licensing and compliance topics to join. While registration is open to the public, this seminar is a special opportunity for legal professionals and law students who can potentially earn continuing legal education (CLE) credits for participating (approval pending).

Sign-ups and details on financial aid options available to all lawyers can be found on the seminar registration page.

The sessions will be led by experts and respected leaders in the free software community, including:

• John Sullivan, Free Software Foundation executive director;

• Justin C. Colannino, JD, attorney at Microsoft;

• Marc Jones, JD, in-house counsel and compliance engineer at CivicActions; and

• Pamela Chestek, JD, principal of Chestek Legal

• Donald R. Robertson, III, JD, licensing and compliance manager of the Free Software Foundation.

FSF program manager Zoë Kooyman will also be giving introductory and closing remarks.

Continuing legal education credits

We are in the process of applying to the North Carolina Association for CLE course approval on our course materials. When we are approved, attendees will be able to claim CLE credits in North Carolina, or any other state that accepts North Carolina-approved CLE credits.

Program

• 09:00 - 09:30: Registration and breakfast

• 09:30 - 09:45 Welcome and introductory remarks
  Welcome by FSF program manager Zoë Kooyman

• 09:45 - 10:45 Brief introduction to the GNU General Public License
  Session 1 by John Sullivan
  Break 10 minutes

• 10:55 - 11:55 What do courts think the GPL means (so far)?
  Session 2 by Marc Jones, JD
  Lunch 90 minutes

• 13:30 - 14:30 Free software ethics quiz show!
  Session 3 by Justin C. Colannino, JD
  Break 10 minutes

• 14:40 - 15:40 Trademarks and free software
  Session 4 by Pamela Chestek, JD
  Break 10 minutes

• 15:50 - 16:50 The changing face of license proliferation
  Session 5 by Donald R. Roberton, JD
  Followed by closing remarks

• 17:30 - 20.00 Networking social event at Whiskey Kitchen

Materials (More coming soon)

• Speaker Biographies

Biographies

• Session Materials

  Copyleft and the GNU General Public License: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Guide
  Pamela Chestek -- Model Trademark Guidelines
  Pamela Chestek -- Session Materials
  Pamela Chestek -- Session Materials
  Donald Robertson -- Session Slides
  Donald Robertson -- Licenses discussed
  

Registration

Registration is closed for this event.
The FSF provides all session materials, as well as coffee, breakfast, and lunch.
Register now!

Location and parking

The event will take place in room 205 on mezzanine level of the Raleigh Convention Center, located adjacent to the Red Hat Amphitheater and is located at 500 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. The R-LINE, Downtown Raleigh’s free circulating bus, has a stop at the main entrance of the Raleigh Convention Center.

The closest public parking decks to the Raleigh Convention Center are located at

• Lenoir Street between Salisbury Street and Fayetteville Street
• Lenoir Street between Salisbury and McDowell Street
• South Street between Salisbury and McDowell Street
• Davie Street between McDowell and Dawson Street
• Cabarrus Street between McDowell and Dawson Street
• Salisbury Street between Cabarrus and Davie Street

Please note that the Raleigh Convention Center, nor the FSF, control the parking rates or maintenance of these garages. Listed parking decks are operated by McLaurin Parking. For concerns with a parking facility or more information, contact McLaurin Parking directly.