Meeting:Board meeting 2009-09-17

Roll call

• Attendees: Bill Nottingham, Tom 'spot' Callaway, John Poelstra, Mike McGrath, Dennis Gilmore, Josh Boyer, Matt Domsch, Christopher Aillon, Paul Frields
• Regrets: Dimitris Glezos

Last meeting

Meeting:Board_meeting_2009-09-10

Agenda

Brazilian Fedora site

• STATUS:
  • Board requested specific changes to accommodate licensing
  • Changes have been made by domain owner, minus link to projetofedora.org
  • Link intended to show Brazilian community members where to interact with Fedora Ambassadors and other people who are involved with our central community
• UPDATE:
  • Board issue: OK to drop requirement for link to projetofedora.org?
  • Board agrees, OK to drop
• ACTION: Paul to send TLA once finalized

Firmware license acceptance

Meeting:Board_meeting_2009-09-10#t10_Sep_12:23

• Firmware license triggers on use, not redistribution
• How can we handle informing users of the terms? (Not firstboot, that's too late)
• Another Spot issue -- any answer from Legal yet?
  • Intel CPU microcode firmware license doesn't trigger on use; AMD does (but it's not in Fedora yet)
  • Spot: Emailed counsel to ask about it
  • Counsel responds that none of the licenses currently in use (or in consideration) would require us to inform the user in advance
• No further action required at this time

Commercial non-software goods license

Meeting:Board_meeting_2009-09-10#t10_Sep_13:25

• Thus far we have given only licenses for non-commercial use, but the need for a Fedora store means we should consider the alternative as well.
• Bill to present some possibilities at this meeting
• DISCUSSION:
  • Bill presented some history and broad categories of situations the Board would find favorable and unfavorable
    • Favorable
      • Proceeds used to fund Fedora activities or compatible free and open source activities
      • Goods sold in conjunction with Fedora software, e.g. media or preloads
      • Goods sold together in a store, e.g. a variety of items offered for sale
    • Unfavorable
      • Goods sold as a small portion of a larger unrelated business
      • Goods sold in a way that does not largely benefit the Fedora Project as a whole
  • Spot clarified needs:
    • Ambassadors getting custom design freebies at shows (custom design)
    • Ambassadors getting stock branded stuff from local vendors (stock design)
    • Random user buying a Fedora branded item and not having to pay astronomical shipping costs
  • Paul: Design team tends to do a good job receiving and addressing logo/design questions
  • Bill: Need a preferred vendor in each geo, local Ambassadors work with the vendor to achieve good swag quality/design
  • Spot: Vendors may be doing other swag provision, beyond Fedora branded goods; they should be able to set up a Brand Fuel-like store front which the Ambassadors can monitor
    • Spot: Handling the money is the hardest part (where does it go, transparency)
  • Dennis: Ambassador question: "What do we do with the money we receive back?"
  • Spot: First step before setting up a vendor is to go to Finance in Red Hat and ask them to help us figure out a way of doing this.
  • Poelstra: Can we do an exchange of goods (free swag for shows, etc.) rather than a monetary exchange?
    • Goods exchange is difficult to quantify in a way that's equitable to vendor and Fedora Project; might be more difficult than money and hard to make transparent
  • Paul: Max was talking to a potential .eu vendor with the idea of a separate branded Fedora site; all proceeds go into a holding fund at the vendor that discounts goods for Ambassador use; transparency through management by Fedora people
  • John: Why are we against someone making money selling Fedora goods if it spreads our brand?
    • Paul: Fedora brand identity includes transparency
    • Spot: Want to make sure that a portion of the profits are somehow coming back to Fedora (in a legal and manageable way)
• Criteria for setting up a vendor relationship to sell non-software goods:
  1. Transparency to the entire process
  2. Everything needs to be professional: website, finished goods, good customer service, contract, etc.
  3. Fedora retains design control over all goods sold
  4. OPTIONAL: Allow design submissions from community

Unanswered question around whether Fedora (can/does/wants to) receive funds

• ACTION: Paul to get with Max and Red Hat Finance to get latest guidance, report by Oct. 1

Next meeting

PROPOSED: 2009-09-24 UTC 1600

• Accepted
• Next week: missing Dennis, Matt, and Bill