The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev. or IFOSSLR) is a collaborative legal publication aiming to increase knowledge and understanding among lawyers about Free and Open Source Software issues. It is the first publication to focus specifically on this field, and its independent Editorial Committee is seeking submissions from qualified authors in a variety of research areas.
The topics covered by the publication include copyright, licence implementation, licence interpretation, patents applicable to software and business methods, standards applicable to software, case law, statutory changes, license enforcement, competition law applicable to software, economics analysis, business models and due diligence.
Issue 3 of IFOSS L. Rev. will be released on June 8th 2010. To be considered for inclusion in this issue articles must be submitted by April 1st.
Issue 4 of IFOSS L. Rev. will be released on December 7th 2010. To be considered for inclusion in this issue articles must be submitted by October 1st.
Full-Length Articles
IFOSS L. Rev. accepts full-length researched articles on legal issues of interest to the publication’s readership. All accepted submissions are peer-reviewed. No fixed length is prescribed, but 5000 – 15000 words is a useful indicative range.
Legislative Review
This section contains briefs on recent or upcoming changes to legislation relevant to Free and Open Source Software. Articles discuss the main implications of the legislative change, set out the context of prior law, and indicate how governmental policy and/or international law will affect implementation. All accepted submissions are peer-reviewed. No fixed length is prescribed, but 1500 – 3000 words is a useful indicative range.
Case Law Reports
The focus of this section is reports on recent developments in case law that offer commentary on the legal and policy implications of the decisions. Articles are peer-reviewed where appropriate. No fixed length is prescribed, but 500 – 3000 words is a useful indicative range.
Book Reviews
IFOSS L. Rev. accepts reviews of recent literature relevant to Free and Open Source Software. Book reviews are normally 500 – 2000 words in length, and should critically analyse the main arguments of the literature under examination. Further, they should indicate the reviewer’s assessment of the literature’s usefulness to IFOSS L. Rev’s readership, its novelty of approach, its factual accuracy and its relevance to current debates.
Tech Watch
IFOSS L. Rev. prides itself on outstanding industry awareness and cross-disciplinary reach. Tech Watch is therefore offered as a forum to set contemporary technical and social issues in the Free and Open Source community into their legal context. These discussions may form the basis of subsequent detailed examination by other contributors. Tech Watch columns take a in short essay form, and are expected to be between 500 and 2000 words in length. They are usually written by non-lawyers.
Platform
IFOSS L. Rev. accepts articles for publication in the Platform section from all qualified authors. Because of the nature of this section as providing, as the name suggests, a platform for the expression of a personal view, submissions are reviewed by the full Editorial Committee, and both the detail and spirit of the standards of this publication are expected to be adhered to. In addition, because of its nature as a venue for reasoned opinion, due consideration for respect and professional courtesy are essential qualities for any article intended for publication in this section. Platform articles may be of any length.
Submission process
Potential contributors can review the author guidelines, download article templates in ODT or RTF format, and submit papers on the journal site.
Any questions can be directed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
