Open source software and licensing models have become vitally important to companies in the software, hardware, semiconductor, Internet, services, consumer products and other industries. Over the past several years, Cooley Godward Kronish’s Open Source practice has grown along with the development of open source, and Cooley’s Technology Transactions Group has some of the most experienced open source attorneys anywhere.
In every endeavor, we bring Cooley’s practical, business-minded and collaborative approach to open source licensing issues, drawing on resources throughout the Firm—including areas such as IP litigation, trademark and Internet law—and on the Firm’s deep experience in technology licensing to help our clients find the right solution that is consistent with their business needs.
We work with clients from many industries on open source issues, including how to:- Effectively use open source components in the development of software and hardware products
- Receive and manage developments from the open source community
- Manage the use of open source components in the client’s business.
In addition, we regularly counsel clients on:- Open source license compliance and compatibility issues
- Structuring product and service offerings involving open source
- Open source usage policies
- Selecting licensing models for releasing open source
We also help potential acquirers and investors to evaluate the risks associated with the use of open source by target and portfolio companies and conduct due diligence reviews of open source usage for mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. And our attorneys speak frequently about open source topics at conferences and industry groups.
Our clients include companies developing business models around open source, businesses utilizing open source in connection with proprietary software and/or hardware, and investors and acquirers seeking to understand the implications of using open source. Outside the information technology arena, we also counsel the Wikimedia Foundation, publishers of the Wikipedia, and we helped Creative Commons develop its suite of open-source-style copyright licenses for non-software works.
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