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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.

Elektrobit strengthens software supply chain with OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230:2020 conformance announcement

By Featured, News

Erlangen, Germany – Elektrobit announces that it conforms to OpenChain ISO / IEC 5230:2020 across its entire product portfolio. OpenChain is the International Standard for open-source license compliance and is designed to build trust in the supply chain. The standard defines the key requirements of a quality open-source compliance program. This activity is in furtherance of Elektrobit’s long-standing commitment to the open-source governance and management.

The new accreditation will enable Elektrobit customers to have increased confidence in the company’s ability to manage the use of open-source software across its product portfolio i.e. primarily consists of AUTOSAR software solutions, In-vehicle network and Secure vehicle solutions, Linux for Safety Applications, and User experience.

There are growing concerns regarding the need for robust management of security vulnerabilities and license compliance across software supply chain. This concern is also reflected in regulatory frameworks such as UN Regulation No. 155 – Cyber security and cyber security management system and U.S. Executive Order 14028, “Improving The Nation’s Cybersecurity” emphasizing the requirement for Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) for software supplied. Elektrobit aims to supports its customers in all spheres of security and license management regarding the safe and compliant usage of open-source software.

OpenChain encourages self-certification, independent assessment, and third-party certification as options for entities seeking to address the risk profile of their supply chain.

“Elektrobit continues to lead in securely developing software. We realized the importance of leveraging Open-Source Software and recognized the need for a robust process to manage the use of it in our products,” says Gaurav Gupta, Open Source Manager at Elektrobit.

“It is hard to overstate the importance of today’s announcement,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “Elektrobit has one of the deepest industry pedigrees in bringing increased peace of mind to enterprise and governmental organizations. Certifying their open-source software management underlines their commitment to excellence and serves as a beacon for other companies to follow.”

About Elektrobit

Elektrobit is the trusted partner in the transition to the software-defined vehicle (SDV). With over 35 years of award-winning automotive software expertise, Elektrobit’s innovative portfolio and comprehensive SDV ecosystem empower OEMs, Tier 1s, along with ODMs and Big Tech to build future-ready solutions with speed and confidence. Its SDV building blocks include operating systems, middleware, embedded software, digital cockpit solutions, engineering services, and development workflows – driving faster innovation and seamless integration across the vehicle lifecycle. Elektrobit software powers over five billion devices in more than 630 million vehicles worldwide. It is a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of AUMOVIO.

About the OpenChain Project 

The OpenChain Project has an extensive global community of over 1,000 companies collaborating to make the supply chain quicker, more effective and more efficient. It maintains OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230, the international standard for open source license compliance programs and OpenChain ISO/IEC 18974, the industry standard for open source security assurance programs.

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards, and data. Linux Foundation projects are critical to the world’s infrastructure, including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, ONAP, PyTorch, RISC-V, SPDX, OpenChain, and more. The Linux Foundation focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at www.linuxfoundation.org.

Check Out The Publicly Announced Community of Conformance:
https://openchainproject.org/community-of-conformance

OpenChain Global Update @ Open Source Tech Day 2025 in Korea

By News

The OpenChain Project provided a Global Update at Open Source Tech Day 2025 event in Seoul, South Korea on the 21st of October 2025. This event brought together government, industry and academic experts to discuss the intersection of open innovation and commerce. Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager, took the stage to represent the community and encourage a more trusted supply chain.

Review the Slides:

Welcoming the OpenChain AI System Bill of Materials Compliance Guide

By Featured, News

The OpenChain AI Work Group has been considering how to manage AI compliance in the supply chain since January 2024. During this time the community has collaboratively produced a guide to identify key process points for a quality AI compliance program. After completing a drafting process, a review process and a public comment period, that guide is now freely available to all in its release version.

Download a Printable Version

Review the Editing Version on GitHub (MarkDown format)

Get Involved:

Everyone is welcome to be part of this activity! OpenChain has free, open access to all its work groups and study groups. Just turn up, and listen in, and contribute comments, ideas and suggestions.

✉️ We have a dedicated mailing list for the AI Work Group: https://lists.openchainproject.org/g/ai

Attend Future Meetings:

You can find and get the dial-in details for all future meetings from our participate page here: https://www.openchainproject.org/participate

Briefing for OpenChain India Work Group: Digital Personal Data Protection Act

By News

Join a webinar on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 to understand key compliance obligations, consent mechanisms, and cross-border data transfer requirements. This 60-minute session offers a general overview and practical understanding to help both individuals and companies align  with India’s DPDPA 2023. The event will be lead by Biju Nair, Chair of the OpenChain India Work Group.

Please register to join the webinar:

OpenChain @ OpenFest 2025 in Bulgaria

By News

The OpenChai Meridian 22 Work Group will be represented by Vladimir Slavov at OpenFest 2025 this weekend.

OpenFest is the biggest Bulgarian conference dedicated to free culture, free knowledge sharing, free and open source software. It is the most anticipated annual gathering of fans, creators and supporters of open source and free art in Bulgaria.

Learn more:

Check out the talk:

  • https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vladimir-slavov-%F0%9F%87%AA%F0%9F%87%BA-578726180_%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81-%D0%BD%D0%B0-openfest-bulgaria-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%85-lightning-activity-7385350682226114560-a6pb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACvKzUByb5VJsorojLALtdi-cBeq-StgR4

Coming Soon: OpenChain Meridian 22 Work Group Call – the CRA, AI Act, DMA, DSA, PLD – Requirements and Meeting Them?

By News
Ciaran O’Riordan of the Eclipse Foundation will join our newest work group to discuss the diverse European Union regulation incoming, how it impacts open source, and what we need to do to meet requirements. Our Meridian 22 community will also discuss what’s happening in their locality, including similar (or compatible) regulations. We will start with Bulgaria. All welcome! This is a community meeting in English.

This event takes place:

2025-10-20 @ 07:30 UTC / 08:30 BST / 09:30 CEST / 16:30 JST

Dial-in at the time of the event:

JUN Legal GmbH is the Latest OpenChain Partner

By Featured, News


JUN Legal GmbH is the latest official OpenChain Partner, expanding coverage and diversity of options in the German market.

“Open source is a strategic topic for the European Union,” says Florian Hackel, specialized lawyer for IT law. “Projects like OpenChain, and the ISO process standards they maintain, offer a path to sustainable, reliable and trustworthy management. We are delighted to be able to support our clients and the broader community in the continued professionalization of open source.”

“Germany is a key market for the OpenChain Project,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “I am delighted to see our options for the community expanding, and our avenues for advocacy and support doing the same. I look forward to future collaboration with JUN and their team.”

About JUN Legal GmbH
JUN Legal is a medium-sized German law firm specializing in IT law, AI and open source compliance. Our team currently includes 27 attorneys with FOSS experience, eight of whom are Certified Specialist Lawyers for IT Law. For more than a decade, we have supported major corporate clients in ensuring license-compliant integration of open source software components and in developing strategic policies for the use of open source and its diverse licensing models. Our experience also includes delivering expert lectures, publishing on open source legal topics, and representing clients in selected court proceedings.

Learn more: https://jun.legal/en/

 

OpenChain @ ZF Group Open Source Conference 2025 in Germany

By News

The OpenChain Project delivered a keynote at the recent ZF Conference in Germany. This event, targeted towards internal terms across the ZF Group, and to customers and suppliers, provided a platform to discuss open source strategy and practical management. As an adopter of OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230, ZG Group has taken a leadership position in seeking excellence in the open source automotive supply chain.

Check Out The OpenChain Keynote Slides Below:

RECORDING: OpenChain Monthly Specification and Education Call (North America – Europe) – 2025-10-08

By News

We Discussed:

Lead by Chris Wood (Chair, Specification Work Group) and Martin Yagi (Chair Education Work Group), the call covered the following agenda:

  • OpenChain Project News
  • Specification Work Group – CRA, other regulations and our standards
  • Education Work Group – Update on Status and Community Work Items
  • Any Other Business?

A reminder for those in Asia – while this edition of the monthly call is happening in the darkest hours of the night (01:30 in Japan!), we also have a monthly Europe / Asia call that works better for those in Eastern time zones. Check out the schedule for this and all our other meetings here:
https://openchainproject.org/participate

Watch the Recording:

Coming Next:

  • A ton of work pending on education, and a survey to be released for the spec. Expect a strong focus on looking at what we have accomplished, looking at feedback, and making it better.

Join Our Work:

Everyone is welcome to be part of the Specification Work Group. You can join their mailing list here:
https://lists.openchainproject.org/g/specification/

You can find and be part of all OpenChain calls through our participation page here:
https://openchainproject.org/participate

RECORDING: OpenChain AI Work Group – Monthly Workshop for North America and Europe – 2025-10-07

By News

During our regular OpenChain AI Work Group meeting for North America and Europe the agenda was:

  • Item #1: We have completed the AI SBOM Compliance Management Guide
  • Item #2: We are going live on 20th October – your help with promotion is requested
  • Item #3: We have started coordination with Lord Clement-Jones in the UK, UK working group, Spec Group, LF legal conference and PyTorch conference
  • Item #4: Early market feedback can be used to update the guide for solution/market fit – Your help is requested
  • Item #5: FINOS working group
  • Item #6: Any Other Business

Watch the Recording:

Get Involved:

Everyone is welcome to be part of this activity! OpenChain has free, open access to all its work groups and study groups. Just turn up, and listen in, and contribute comments, ideas and suggestions.

✉️ We have a dedicated mailing list for the AI Work Group: https://lists.openchainproject.org/g/ai

Attend Future Meetings:

You can find and get the dial-in details for all future meetings from our participate page here: https://www.openchainproject.org/participate