John Ackermann's
Legal Publications


Open Source Hardware


As part of my activity with the amateur radio R&D group TAPR, I developed a license for open source hardware called the TAPR Open Hardware License.

Here is version 1.0 of the OHL in PDF form; you can download other formats, and obtain further information, at the main OHL page.

My article Toward Open Source Hardware, which explains how electronic hardware designs may -- and may not -- be protected under intellectual property law, was published in the Winter 2009 (Vol 34-2) issue of the University of Dayton Law Review.


Open Source Software


Here are PDF versions of a paper and presentation I prepared for a continuing legal education program at the University of Dayton Law School in March, 2004. These are updated from earlier presentations I gave in June, 2000 and March, 2003.

NOTE: These materials are aimed at a non-technical, legally-trained audience that's not familiar with Open Source Software. Please read them in that light.

UD_Open_Source_Chapter_Materials_(03-2004).pdf (178kb)

UD_Open_Source_Presentation_(03-2004).pdf (191kb)

NOTE: These documents are copyright 2000-2004 by NCR Corporation. They may be reproduced in unaltered form provided their copyright notices are retained and attribution is given.