Frequently Asked Questions about Validos

Questions and answers about Validos:

What is Validos?

What is Validos?

Validos is a Finnish association whose purpose is to promote the use of open source software in the companies and other societies. Validos implements cooperation model purpose of which is to define suitability of open source (OS) software in business use, in other words validation. With cooperation companies define suitability  of open source software in different  kinds of proprietary use with absolutely uncompeatable efficiency. When earlier this work had to be done separately in each company, that means many times, now the essential part of validating is done only once and the results are shared among all the members of the cooperation.

What Information Does Validos Produce?

Open source components often include several different parts or components licenses of which vary. Management of the entity and the subcomponents may have different kind of deficienses. Companies and others who use software professionally must ascertain that they use open source packages that fit the purpose of the use. With this intention must the rights of use of open source packages (and different subcomponents) be adequately clear. Depending on the open source project producing this information requires different kinds of clarifying. Validos produces this information about the open source packages the member has appointed.

In addition Validos produces use instructions about how to take open source package in use according to all applicable license conditions. This includes among other things list of license clauses or other notifications or texts which should be included in the distribution or documentation. Summary is made containing all the reports. It offers a quick overall glance on different validated packages and into their validating status.

Use instruction and detailed report has been made about every validated package. Parts of the report are, amog others, individualization information of the software component, summary, decription of possible uses allowed by the main license, attachment of the main license into the software, sublicense compatibility, information about the results of the source code analysis, information about the authors/copyright holders and redistribution requirements.

Who Can Join as a Member?

The more members Validos has, the more useful the co-operation is for its members. Therefore, Validos is open for new companies and societies. Contact us!

What Benefits do the Members Get?

Basic benefits of the members are:

• acces to Validos databank, that is to say, to all validation reports made within the cooperation,
• possibility to have validation work done (membership fee includes minimum amount of work which can be used flexibly during six month periods) and
• acces to Validos membership events in which, among other things, cooperation and controlled use of open source are discussed.

The reports include among other things following information:

• information about whether the software is well managed, that is to say, valid (licensing of the software is adequately clear),
• information about license conditions applicable to the software (main license and licenses of all the subcomponents),
• redistribution requirements:
  • list of all license clauses which should be included in to the distribution and/or documentation,
  • list of other notifications and texts which should be included in to the distribution,
  • legal requirements of redistribution and
  • another requirements of redistribution and
• instructions about how redistribution should be made:
  • if necessary, instructions about in which way the package must be modified for the redistribution.

How Much Does the Membership Cost?

Membership fee is determined by the turnover of the company and it includes certain amount of validation work which the member can use in a manner of its choice to validation of open source software packages flexibly during six month periods. See more information about membership.

In What Way Validos Regards Open Source Community?

Positively! Validos aspires to promote open source software use in companies by its own actions. An important part of exploitation of open source software is the compliance of license terms in all operating situations and in this, among other things, Validos helps its members. We have described our operations also as the adding of the possibly lacking legal knowledge into open source projects. Validos also aspires to be active towards the community in different manners.

Is Validos Actual Society or a Product of a Single Law Firm?

Validos is a Finnish association which is governed by its members. One of the members is HH Partners Attorneys-At-Law which is also original developer of the cooperation model. Validos is not legally dependant on HH Partners or any other service provider. Validos database of reports is owned by Validos. Therefore Validos is not product of a single law firm but actual association (and cooperation model).

What is the Role of the HH Partners in Validos?

HH Partners is one of the six founding members of Validos and the original developer and driving force of the cooperation model Validos uses. Chairman of the board of Validos (Martin von Willebrand) is an associate of HH Partners.

HH Partners produces with a separate contract the legal validation information to the association. The association is not legally dependant on HH Partners. The status of HH Partners in the association is based on expertise about the operations of the association and setting in motion and developing the cooperation model.

The more members Validos has, the more useful the co-operation is for its members. Therefore, Validos is open for new companies and societies. Contact us!