[OH Updates] TAPR meeting results

[Alexander Chemeris]

On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 23:01, Bruce Perens <bruce at perens.com> wrote:
> On 09/20/2011 02:56 AM, Alexander Chemeris wrote:
>>
>> Looks like I'm confused. What Ettus is doing is no doubt great and very
>> important in general, but why did you mentioned his products in this
>> context? Could you please clarify a bit
>
> Sure. Look at a large number of "Open Hardware" projects. They have a chip
> in the middle. Just one chip. They have a board pad, pin, or connector pin
> attached to each pin of the chip. They have some power conditioning. And
> that is the entire design. Their only function is to be a breakout board for
> that chip.
>
> I submit that the fact that this is Open Hardware is not terribly relevant.
> You could duplicate the design without trouble, as fast as you can work your
> PCB layout program, without much thought.

Let me re-phrase. Is it your opinion that Ettus' products comply with
the OHSW definition?
Here I can find only pdf files for schematics:
http://code.ettus.com/redmine/ettus/projects/public/documents

Does this comply with this statement in clause (1) of OSHW definiton?
"The documentation must include design files in the preferred format
for making changes, for example the native file format of a CAD
program. Deliberately obfuscated design files are not allowed.
Intermediate forms analogous to compiled computer code — such as
printer-ready copper artwork from a CAD program — are not allowed as
substitutes. "

It doesn't seem that OSHW definition requires you to publish PCB
layouts, so schematics only look fine. But it asks you to publish your
design files in a editable format.



Another (unrelated) question. The OSHW definition says:
"Under U.S. law, and law in many other places, copyright does not
apply to electronic designs. Patents do. The result is that an Open
Hardware license can in general be used to restrict the plans but
probably not the manufactured devices or even restatements of the same
design that are not textual copies of the original."

Does it mean that schematics *is* protected by copyright?

-- 
Regards,
Alexander Chemeris.