[FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] FFmpeg Foundation

[Alex Beregszaszi]

Hi,

On Thu, 2009-10-29 at 12:52 +0100, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 01:18:52AM +0100, Alex Beregszaszi wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > On Wed, 2009-10-28 at 19:40 -0400, Ronald S. Bultje wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > some developers have stated the intent to set up a NGO
> > > (non-governmental organization) to help us bring some structure,
> > > support and funding into the project. We haven't decided on a name
> > > yet, although people agree that we dislike "FFmpeg Foundation" - if
> > > you can suggest better names, please do so in this thread. Right now,
> > > we're at a point where I think most of the stuff is decided and there
> > > is just some paperwork to be filled out. All this with many thanks to
> > > Karen at the SFLC who helped to get all this going. The NGO will be
> > > registered in Delaware, USA (for administrative reasons). Its goal
> > > will be to "advance the state of free and open multimedia" or
> > > something like that.
> > > 
> > > For the time being, this organization will be run by a board
> > > consisting of 7 members. For the starting board, the following
> > > developers have volunteerd:
> > > - Baptiste Coudurier
> > > - Benjamin Larsson
> > > - Carl Eugen Hoyos
> > > - Diego Biurrun
> > > - Mans Rullgard
> > > - Michael Niedermayer
> > > - Ronald S. Bultje
> > > If you feel that these members will not be able to appropriately
> > > represent this project, now would be a good time to speak up and
> > > suggest something better. For the near future, the directors will
> > > elect a new board at the end of their yearly term (and that might end
> > > up in the same 7 members). If there's enough interest, we might set up
> > > a member-structure so the board can be properly elected by its members
> > > (=developers, contributors, etc.), but ATM we lack the structure for
> > > even that ample task, so not for now.
> > > 
> > > The NGO will set up a bank account to accept tax-deductible donations
> > > (bank, paypal, etc.) from organizations, users and companies to
> > > benefit the further advance of "open / free multimedia". These might
> > > be spend on FFmpeg development, FFmpeg development hackparties, FFmpeg
> > > developers attending conferences or anything else that we will would
> > > serve the greater good of "open / free multimedia" (i.e. it doesn't
> > > have to be FFmpeg, specifically). We will also accept donations for a
> > > specific purpose (e.g. Snow, etc.). Lastly, we will host a bank
> > > account for MPlayer for donations intended specifically for MPlayer,
> > > rather than FFmpeg.
> > > 
> > > Comments?
> > 
> > Im volunteering to do some paperwork or be in board if needed. Also once
> 
> > the legal entity is set up we can organize the transfer of domain
> > owernership rights of mplayerhq.hu - currently Im the owner.
> 
> if something US based owns the domain, cant they then be forced by a US
> court to do something?
> not sure if this is a realistic threat but with all of MPAA/RIAA/MS/REAL/...
> US based ....

Well if the whole foundation is US registered (as it looks like) it will
be sueable easily by US companies. The foundation should be somewhere in
Europe.

--
Alex