legal hackers: lawyers and hackers specializing in libre software/copyright matters

What's this?

People often ask who they should consult for libre/free/open source software matters, particularly those relating to licensing, copyright and copyleft, patents, and other intellectual property issues.

What follows is a curated public list of those members so that others can get access to their services. Hopefully this will improve communication and reduce FUD, while supporting small businesses and consultancies.

Can anyone join the list?

To be part of this list, you must have at least seven (7) points from the below criteria in at least three (3) different categories:

• (1 pt/year, 3 pts max) active participation in a well-known legal discussion group
• (1 pt) hold a law degree from a recognized university
• (2 pt/publication, 2 pts max) publish an intermediate to advanced article about legal issues relevant to this list
• (1 pt/referral, 2 pts max) receive a recommendation from someone on this list
• (1 pt) demonstrate basic proficiency using the git tool
• (2 pts) demonstrate basic proficiency using the gpg tool with email

The criteria and categories are subject to change. Feel free to propose a patch! Individuals must consent to being added to this list, and as a result they should submit the patch on their own behalf.

The list:

The full list of individuals is available here.

How to:

Issue a pull request:

• edit the /individuals.md file (adding your own entry, in alphabetical order)
• add a file in /individuals/ (use individuals/template.md)
• your commit comment should follow the following standard: individual: Add Newname (prefix lowercase, colon, the rest capitalized)
• include a self-evaluation checklist in the extended comment, using the template in .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
• never use trailing spaces (indentation using tabs only)
• wait for the result of the automated tests; should your submission fail, look at the bottom of the log to see what's wrong
• wait for your submission to be approved, fix the warnings you have received

Questions:

Please ask on IRC! If you have a well phrased question that might benefit others, consider asking it by sending a patch to the FAQ section. I'll merge your question, and a patch with the answer!

Training:

"I don't know what git is, or I'd like to improve my git skills." If you or your company would like some git training, feel free to contact James to arrange a private course.

Maintainer:

This list is being maintained by @purpleidea. They have final say over any issues.

Happy legal hacking!