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Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:33:44 +0000
From: Robert Burrell Donkin <rdonkin@apache.org>
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To: legal-discuss@apache.org
Subject: Re: [LEGAL-67] Who We Are, Legal Affairs
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On 03/06/10 08:10, William A. Rowe Jr. wrote:
> On 3/6/2010 1:31 AM, Ralph Goers wrote:
>>
>> You missed my point. Since looking at committee-info isn't as easy as looking at a web site many people asking questions are unaware who the committee members are. 
>> Since your name is publicly visable you effectively become the only "official" voice.

the membership of the committee is a matter of public record (through
the board minutes) but it's not easy to find

> And perhaps you miss Sam's.  Anyone who would willingly become the legal voice
> of the ASF without appropriate financial commiseration is a fool.  Sam is the
> appointed voice of the foundation and the foundation backs him and his committee
> with what resources it can.  Any further public identification of the legal
> representatives and committee representatives, except for publicly disclosed
> officers and legal counsel, works against such individuals' interests.

it is interesting that official legal voice seems important...

"the Board of Directors deems it to be in the best
 interests of the Foundation and consistent with the
 Foundation's purpose to create an Executive Committee charged
 with establishing and managing legal policies based on the
 advice of legal counsel and the interests of the Foundation"

http://www.apache.org/legal/reports.html#2009-03-18

AFACT in practice, legal affairs runs by a consensus driven policy
creation mechanism. policy is codified through changes to the web site.
the web site is the canonical record for policy and the official voice
of policy.

so, perhaps any explanation of roles should be use case driven rather
than theoretic. for example,

"Apache Trouble finds License A is not categorised. The role of legal
discuss is to achieve consensus on categorisation. The role of legal
affairs is to supervise and ratify. The role of VP is to supervise and
seek legal counsel if necessary."

opinions?

- robert


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