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Shane Coughlan

Shane Coughlan is an expert in communication, security and business development. His professional accomplishments include spearheading the licensing team that elevated Open Invention Network into the largest patent non-aggression community in history, establishing the leading professional network of Open Source legal experts and aligning stakeholders to launch both the first law journal and the first law book dedicated to Open Source. Shane has extensive knowledge of Open Source governance, internal process development, supply chain management and community building. His experience includes engagement with the enterprise, embedded, mobile and automotive industries.

OpenChain Launches Conformance Logo

By News

OpenChain Launches Conformance Logo

BEIJING, China (LinuxCon China) June 20, 2017 — Today the OpenChain Project launched the OpenChain Conformance logo. This logo can be used on websites or marketing material by organizations of any size that self-certify to the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance, and displaying the OpenChain Conformance logo, is one of the simplest, quickest ways to demonstrate a serious, measured approach to open source license compliance.

“OpenChain Conformance builds trust between organizations in the supply chain,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “This makes procurement easier for purchasers and preferred status easier for suppliers. The release of the OpenChain Conformance logo increases the visibility for organizations engaging with our industry standard. It is another step forward towards ensuring that increased trust regarding open source compliance can be built between organizations in the global supply chain.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

OpenChain at LinuxCon China

By News

OpenChain at LinuxCon China

SAN FRANCISCO, June 20, 2017 — Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager, will deliver a talk entitled ‘Managing the Open Source Supply Chain‘ at LinuxCon China at 14:15 on the 20th of June. It will take place in Room 306B and everyone attending the event is invited to attend. It will provide an opportunity to learn more about OpenChain, about complementary projects such as SPDX and FOSSology, and about how the global open source community has built out the processes and tools needed for sustainable governance.

“When open source began there were questions about how the licenses worked and whether this collaborative method could scale,” says Shane Coughlan. “In two decades we have come so far. Open source is now the foundation of the global IT industry and we have matured beyond code. We have collaborated to build great technology, great projects and great approaches to managing our activities. My talk at LinuxCon China will focus on the latter item, a key tipping point for maturity, and an area where projects like OpenChain showcase our progress as a community.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

OpenChain at the Asian Legal Network

By News

OpenChain at the Asian Legal Network

SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2017 — The OpenChain Project will take center stage today at an event hosted by Open Invention Network and DLA Piper in Tokyo to discuss ‘Building on OSS: IP and Compliance Strategies for Success.’ Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager, will act as MC for the event, deliver a talk entitled ‘Introduction to OpenChain and the Role of Compliance in a Strong Governance Program for Automakers, Suppliers and Beyond’ and lead the roundtable.

“The OpenChain Project is part of a broad global community engaging with all aspects of intellectual property around open source,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “The Asian Legal Network has been meeting on a quarterly basis in China, Japan, Korea and India for over two years. I am delighted to once again host a forward-facing discussion on key subjects impacting operating companies.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Olá! The OpenChain Specification 1.1 is in Portuguese

By News

Olá! The OpenChain Specification 1.1 is in Portuguese

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 — The OpenChain Project today announced the release of the OpenChain Specification 1.1 in Portuguese. This was made possible due to the volunteer contributions of Bill Weinberg and Gianna Cardinale at Open Source Sense and Gianfranco Cardinale at Alquimia Moderna. It can be found on the translations page of the OpenChain website:
https://www.openchainproject.org/translations

“The OpenChain Project is an international, inclusive project designed to foster global adoption,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “The availability of translated material is key to our strategy to help foster adoption and growth of the industry standard for open source compliance in the supply chain. The release of our first Portuguese translation underlines both this commitment and the energy of our community.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

OpenChain Project Welcomes NextCloud

By News

OpenChain Project Welcomes NextCloud

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2017 — The OpenChain Project today announced that Nextcloud GmbH has become the latest OpenChain Conformant organization. The OpenChain Project, hosted by The Linux Foundation®, is the industry standard for managing open source software license compliance across the supply chain.

“OpenChain Conformance is designed for companies of all sizes that deal with open source software,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “NextCloud is a high profile, high growth startup that adheres to the same overarching compliance processes as multinationals. It is a clear example of why OpenChain Conformance is the correct approach to establishing an industry standard for open source compliance in the supply chain.”

“Nextcloud is 100% open source, avoiding the legal risks of mixing proprietary and incompatible open source licenses and providing the full benefit of open, transparent development”,  said Frank Karlitschek, managing director at Nextcloud GmbH. “Compliance with open source licenses is an important matter for us and we’re glad to participate in the OpenChain program, using their approach to help verify compliance, giving customers increased peace of mind with regards to license compliance.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About Nextcloud

Nextcloud offers an industry-leading fully open source solution for on-premise data handling and communication with an uncompromising focus on security and privacy and unprecedented scalability. Nextcloud brings together universal access to data with next-generation secure communication and collaboration capabilities under direct control of IT and integrated with existing compliant infrastructure. Nextcloud’s open, modular architecture, emphasis on security and advanced federation capabilities enable modern enterprises to leverage their existing assets within and across the borders of their organization. For more information, visit https://nextcloud.com or follow @Nextclouders on Twitter.

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Dan Brown

The Linux Foundation

pr@linuxfoundation.org

OpenChain Project Releases Translations and Onboarding Packages

By News

OpenChain Project Releases Translations and Onboarding Packages

TOKYO (Open Source Summit Japan), May 31, 2017 — The OpenChain Project today announced the OpenChain™ Specification is officially available in Japanese and translations are underway in seven other languages. OpenChain has also launched an Onboarding Package to make it easier for decision-makers to engage with the project. The OpenChain Project, hosted by The Linux Foundation®, is the industry standard for managing open source software license compliance across the supply chain.

“This marks another milestone in establishing the OpenChain Specification as the standard for trust around open source compliance in the supply chain,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “We want to ensure the OpenChain Project becomes more internationalized and easier to understand with each passing month. In the near term you can expect expanded Japanese support for our curriculum and Onboarding Package along with Chinese and Spanish support for the specification. We have a simply terrific team of volunteers stepping forward to help share the OpenChain Project with the world.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

The OpenChain Specification translations and Onboarding Package are available from the project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

# # #

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Dan Brown

The Linux Foundation

pr@linuxfoundation.org

Exploring Topical Issues at Open Source Summit Japan

By News

Exploring Topical Issues at Open Source Summit Japan

SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2017 — Shane Coughlan, the OpenChain Program Manager, today discussed ‘The Rise of Copyright Trolls‘ at the Open Source Summit Japan.

“Standards and norms of behavior are critical to the smooth functioning of the international open source community,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “Issues like open source compliance are carefully addressed in a measured, realistic manner by projects such as OpenChain. The vast majority of our energy can and should be focused on such positive activities. At the same time, it is worth exploring challenges posed by actors who may not adhere to the expectations of the community, and to discuss how their actions may be reasonably addressed.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Special Seminar to Discuss The OpenChain Project in Seoul

By News

Special Seminar to Discuss The OpenChain Project in Seoul

SEOUL, May 30, 2017 — The OpenChain Project was discussed today at a special seminar hosted by BKL law office in Seoul, Korea to a select audience of major companies involved in consumer electronics, telecommunications and internet services. The OpenChain Project, hosted by The Linux Foundation®, is the industry standard for managing open source software license compliance across the supply chain. 

“We are delighted to see word spreading about the OpenChain Project, the OpenChain Specification and OpenChain Conformance ,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain Program Manager. “With the recent launch of the OpenChain Project’s Onboarding Handout, Onboarding Slides and our Online Self-Certification it is easier than ever to build increased trust around open source compliance in the supply chain.”

The OpenChain Project identifies key recommended processes for effective open source management. The project builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent. The OpenChain Specification defines a core set of requirements every quality compliance program must satisfy. The OpenChain Curriculum provides the educational foundation for open source processes and solutions, whilst meeting a key requirement of the OpenChain Specification. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to display their adherence to these requirements. The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for participants of the software supply chain.

More information is available from the OpenChain Project website at www.openchainproject.org. Companies of all sizes are invited to review the OpenChain Project, to use the free Online Self-Certification, and to support building a web of trust for open source compliance across the global supply chain.

Additional Resources

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

# # #

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Dan Brown

The Linux Foundation

pr@linuxfoundation.org

OpenChain Newsletter #1

By Monthly Newsletter


Newsletter #1, May 2017

Welcome to the first OpenChain newsletter! This monthly round-up of developments provides a simple way to keep track of our progress. You can expect it to act as a heartbeat for what’s hot right now, what’s coming next, and how you engage. Comments, suggestions and contributions are always welcome at coughlan@linux.com!

Shane Coughlan
OpenChain Program Manager

OpenChain 1.1 Launch

The OpenChain Specification was originally launched in October 2016 and realized the goal of providing an industry standard for supply chain license compliance. In late April we took it further with the release of OpenChain Specification 1.1. This refined, easier to understand document incorporated suggestions for improvement received from over 100 contributors. It is supported by a new, free online self-certification process and refined curriculum material. Check out the press release to learn more.

OpenChain is now ready for mass-market adoption and we are proud to announce a 500% increase in conformant organizations over our previous specification. Siemens, Qualcomm, Pelagicore, Wind River and Harman self-certified in advance of our April 28th launch via the new online self-certification site. Well done all!

Want to self-certify? Start here: https://www.openchainproject.org/conformance

OpenChain Website Relaunch

The OpenChain 1.1 launch was accompanied by a revamp of our website. It is now more comprehensive, clearer and designed to continually improve over time. Key improvements include specialized sections for each of our work teams: Specification, Conformance and Curriculum. You will also find an updated FAQ, expanded news section and a dedicated press resource center. Check it out at www.openchainproject.org

OpenChain in the News

The OpenChain 1.1 launch had a great reception from the media. You can find us in:

OpenChain on Social Media

As OpenChain evolves towards broader adoption we have improved our outreach material. One of the most important things is making us easier to find. To accomplish this we have established a social media presence across several platforms.

OpenChain Internationalization

Another important part of getting OpenChain adopted is ensuring that it is accessible across cultures and languages. We are delighted to announce that OpenChain has eight translations of the Specification underway. Our featured languages are:

  • Chinese
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish

Watch this space for updates!

You can learn more about the translation process here: https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/openchain/spec-translations

Improved Update Cadence

To support adoption we have decided to increase certainty about OpenChain releases. Moving forward we have decided on a process of yearly reviews regarding adding sections or expanding existing sections of the Specification, Conformance and Curriculum. This predictable release cadence will allow companies to adopt OpenChain 1.1 with the certainty that it will remain current throughout 2017 and into 2018.

This does not mean the Specification, Conformance or Curriculum work team activities will slow down or stop. Quite the opposite. We will continue to refine and expand our material based on real-world feedback. We have plenty of work queued for consideration.

Please note that we will always be ready to provide an update to our materials on a faster cadence for any bugs or other issues discovered. You can conceptualize our new approach as having a yearly review cycle for adding new features to the Specification or supporting material and having a quicker release process for addressing bugs or errors.

Our Work Team Calls Evolve

Finally, the OpenChain work team calls are evolving to match our project development. From now on our call on the First Monday of the month will be a work team development call. Our call on the Third Monday will be an update call focused on ensuring everyone is in-sync regarding progress. You can get more information, including dial-in details, here:
https://www.openchainproject.org/community

What’s Next?

OpenChain’s community of contributors is continuing to grow. You can expect work to begin immediately on the next version of our Specification, Conformance service and Curriculum. However, our next major release is not scheduled for at least a year. This allows us time to carefully incorporate feedback from real-world use and to systematically improve readability, cohesion and translatability throughout all our material.

In the short term you can expect the release of new in-boarding material, great ways for adopters to advertise OpenChain Conformance, and new services to grow our community. Learn more in the next newsletter or on the OpenChain mailing list: https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/openchain

License and Trademarks

Copyright 2017 The Linux Foundation. This newsletter is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0). Please feel free to share it onwards! OpenChain is a trademark of The Linux Foundation. It may be used according to The Linux Foundation Trademark Policy and the OpenChain Terms of Use.

Download as a PDF

OpenChain on IRC

By News

OpenChain on IRC

SAN FRANCISCO, United States, May 26, 2017 — The OpenChain Project now has an informal presence on FreeNode. Please note that this is not a formal method of obtaining information or help about OpenChain but it is a way to potentially connect with fellow project members. Kudos to Beth at Togán Labs for helping set us up.

You can join our IRC channel with three steps:

  1. Visit https://webchat.freenode.net
  2. Choose a nickname and enter #openchain as your channel
  3. Click connect

Want to join in our main community discussion? Join the OpenChain main mailing list.

About The OpenChain Project
The OpenChain Project is a community effort to establish best practices for effective management of open source software compliance. The project aims to help reduce costs, duplication of effort, and ease friction points in the software supply. The OpenChain Project has three Work Teams that collaborate on future refinements of the OpenChain Specification, to develop training materials and create conformance criteria for organizations.

Platinum Members of the OpenChain Project include Adobe, ARM Holdings, Cisco, GitHub, Harman International, HPE, Qualcomm, Siemens and Wind River.

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

# # #

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.