International annual conference cycle, the European Open Source & Free Software Law Event (EOLE) aims to promote the share and dissemination of legal knowledge related to free software, as well as the development and promotion of good practices. Initiative born in 2008 from practitioners’ needs, EOLE has for purpose to develop a legal doctrine dedicated to the dissemination of neutral and qualitative information. This year’s event will take place in Torino, in the form of a one-day workshop in October. The aim of this session is to discuss and share legal and technical expertise on the topic of EOLE 2024.
Further details will be communicated later this year (practical details about the venue, exact date and format of the workshop).
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Our call for papers
The European Union has been on a regulatory spree in the digital space, affecting a wide range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including the previously less regulated area of open source software. Key regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act, the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Product Liability Directive have begun to reshape the framework within which open source software stakeholders operate. In addition, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive continue to have a profound impact on the licensing, development and distribution of open source projects.
This year, EOLE is organising its conference in Turin in October (TBD). We will discuss and analyse the impact of these emerging regulations on open source projects, communities and software ecosystems. We invite thought leaders, legal experts, developers and policy makers to engage in a critical dialogue through presentations and workshops focusing on both the specific nuances of open source software regulation and the broader regulatory trends that could significantly influence open source dynamics.
Among other topics, we invite you to propose a talk or workshop on open source and:
- The AI Act: Explore how requirements for algorithmic transparency and accountability could impact open source software development in / through AI.
- The Cyber Resilience Act: Discuss the act’s requirements for security practices in software development and its implications for open source project security and SBPOM generation.
- The proposed Product Liability Directive: Analyze potential liabilities for open source developers and how this directive could change the landscape of open source software usage and development.
- Other impactful regulations: For instance, the effects of the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS) 1 and 2 on open source security practices.
- Regulatory risk and compliance: Best practices for open source projects, including how to navigate the complex regulatory environment.
- Regulatory standardisation and open source: The double-edged sword of standardisation in promoting innovation while potentially imposing restrictive standards.
- Community collaboration on regulation: Strategies for open source communities to collectively address regulatory challenges and advocate for favorable policies.
Target Audience: Project maintainers, community & commercial open source entities, public administrations, individual developers, academia, enterprises and their legal advisors.
The objective of the event is to share ideas and practices related to these regulations. The outcomes of the EOLE 2024 event will include dissemination of knowledge and consensus building regarding these topics, and may include checklists for regulatory compliance, action items, suggested best practices.
The deadline for submitting your proposals is Friday 31 May 2024 (at 00:00 UTC/GMT +2).