[okfn-discuss] Open Hardware

Thu May 8 23:11:12 UTC 2008

jo at frot.org wrote:
> I added a couple of links to work coming from Free Networks
> communities in this area. Most of it's covered by the wikipedia
> resources you have there. The RONJA project is a classic reference
> point, its creator talked on the WSFII.London "Open Hardware" track.
> http://publication.nodel.org/node/116/print in partic. reads as 
> "notes towards an open hardware definition"
>   

Many thanks for this!

> Another reference point would be the "maker" scene as hyped by
> O'Reilly, but that seems more focused on adapting and combining
> "proprietary" hardware projects.  
>   

I narrowly missed the Maker Faire here in San Francisco. There is a lot 
of interesting stuff there, but re: open hardware the focus would be 
exclusively on fully open stuff.

> I think that if there's work on, or movement towards, such an effort
> in the communities you have contact with, OKF could usefully promote
> that, host or link to drafts from opendefinition.org, etc.
>   

I'll suggest the possibility of OKF involvement with some of the work 
going on in this area.

> HOWEVER. I want to ask what these things are useful for, and probably
> caution against asking for too much definition, especially in a
> "legal" context. Is an Open Hardware Definition envisaged to be
> defensive, in the sense of "keeping open libre"? Defensive against
> people who may be "passing off" restricted or encumbered projects
> as "open" for marketing reasons with no intention of engaging in an
> open process?
>   

Exactly - and also to have an OKD-like standard for hardware projects. I 
don't know whether there are any issues here - or a whether a design 
could fairly unproblematically be said to be OKD compliant, just as with 
other kinds of knowledge. I'm not sure about the neighbouring 
rights/legislation - such as patent laws.

If the OKD can be applied to open hardware related knowledge (I think it 
would be useful to unpack what this could be so we can look at the 
different pieces on a case by case basis - blueprints, designs, images, 
text, procedures, etc.) - it could be useful to promote this in relation 
to emerging work on open hardware. This would help to ensure 
interoperability, openness proper, and so on.

> On the one hand, it seems too soon to tell; on the other hand, you
> don't want to sit back and wait to be told. (re Open Hardware, too)
>   

I've been interested in the idea of 'open hardware' for some time. I've 
noticed a few projects which have grown and then disappeared in the last 
few years. There has been a flurry of activity recently - and I'm going 
to touch base to see how the OKF might be able to provide support and 
get involved.

> I have more of this rambling, but it belongs on another thread...
>   

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this! Feel free to ramble in 
my direction off-list, or CC me on relevant discussion elsewhere!

Best wishes,

Jonathan