March 27th, 2008
Eben law can have an open source business model
Anyone can have an open source business model. Even an open source lawyer.
Eben Moglen, whose Software Freedom Law Center provides free legal help to open source projects, has just announced Moglen Ravicher LLC, a for-profit law firm covering the same ground.
Their first client is OpenNMS, an open source enterprise grade network management platform. They’re seeking help regarding violations of the GPL.
If you’re not familiar with the second name partner on the door, Daniel Ravicher (above) is legal director of the SFLC and previously worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where I’ve heard they pay their lawyers well.
Ravicher is also a a registered patent attorney and litigator who also founded the Public Patent Foundation.
OpenNMS is a network management platform whose commercial Web site advertises “professional software, amateur marketing.”At least now it’s not amateur lawyering.
Seriously, this move not only illustrates something positive for the law firm but for open source generally.
Seeing open source advocacy performed by lawyers who also work the proprietary side of the street always struck me as passing strange. But not merely as strange as lawyers working for businesses free.
Hopefully this is the start of a trend.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for 30 years, a tech freelancer since 1983. You can follow Dana on Twitter. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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