Legal research on open-source hardware and standardization
Closing gaps between open-source technologies and legal issues
Upper picture: Vishnu Mohanan on Unsplash | OSH Logo under CC BY SA 4.0 | Composition:Lucas Lasota
Sustainable infrastructure based on open source
The JTC innovation team C1 “Sustainability and Standardization” is an interdisciplinary research group that addresses questions of equitable design for technical and socio‑economic transformation processes in Central Germany, linking “tomorrow’s issues” with current challenges. The group investigates innovation potentials and new regulatory approaches in the field of standardization, particularly the development of alternative democratic governance models for digital assets. Free and open‑source software (FOSS), open data (OD), and open‑source hardware (OSH) are consolidated concepts reflected in institutional arrangements that prioritize collective forms of sustainable and enduring access to, use of, and dissemination of software, hardware, and data.
Compendium: Legal issues related to open-source hardware
Local research for a global community
Although the legal aspects of FOSS and open data have been extensively studied in recent decades, the JTC compendium “Legal Issues Related to OSH” is an initiative aimed at closing the gap between OSH and the law. The compendium provides a practical approach to legal questions by supplying answers to legal queries from the community of hardware developers and users.
Hot topics for OSH projects
The compendium covers the following topics:
- Management of intellectual property in OSH projects
- Licensing of OSH
- Product liability law and OSH
- Interoperability regulations and OSH
- AI and OSH
Realigning the compass for sustainability
The compendium also aims to support in‑depth research analyzing regulatory frameworks and governance structures in the fields of standardization & norms as well as in open‑source communities. Its goal is to promote equitable design of techno‑socio‑economic transformation processes and the democratization of innovation processes, particularly from legal perspectives.
In this context, the compendium is also useful for examining the economic impact of open‑source technologies and standards on regional and international markets; it enables comparison with conventional economic approaches (technology development and exploitation under competition, use of exclusive rights (e.g., patents), etc.).
OSH developer or enthusiast?
The compendium’s results are publicly accessible. Stay tuned here!
Practical seminar: Legal aspects of open-source hardware
We connect students with real-life tech
Rapidly evolving legal issues around open resources should be reflected in the legal education of future professionals operating in digital markets.
The JTC brings together bachelor’s and master’s students from diverse backgrounds (law, economics, sociology, and computer science) to research and develop solutions for practical cases in the context of OSH.
The course is taught each semester by Dr. Lucas Lasota and Dipl.-Ing. & IWE Martin Häuer. In-person sessions take place in the LegalTech Lab.
Legal discipline for the state of the art
The course offers a practice-oriented approach to research at the intersection of “open resources” and law. Participants are given the opportunity to engage with real-world topics, for example:
- Intellectual property of projects in robotics and mechatronics
- Licensing of 3D-printed works
- Patents, trademarks, and copyright protection for chip design
- Liability regimes for drones and autonomous vehicles
- Interoperability regulations and guidelines for internet devices, medical equipment, and embedded software
Curious?
Do you study at MLU? Check the enrollment dates for the next semester. We are looking for motivated students who want to learn more about OSH!
