Years ago, the conventional wisdom among companies was either to ride the open source wave or to avoid open source software at all costs. Now, the choice to avoid open source software is gone. Whether you are a hardware company or a software company, you have open source. It’s in your servers, it’s in your phone system, and it is almost certainly in your products whether they are hardware or software. The open source in your phone system is probably a great idea. The open source in your products, on the other hand, may not be. What should you do?

Join three industry experts who will discuss best practices you can bring to bear in order to reap the benefits of open source while avoiding the pitfalls. They will discuss what open source software is, how it found its way into your products, and what its advantages and disadvantages might be.

You will learn: - Why you should stay on top of this issue; - How you can manage your open source user obligations in a way that is mindful of limited resources; - If that open source you just discovered in your product really means that you have to post your source code on your website.

Panel: - Mark Visnick is a practicing attorney and senior consultant with Johnson-Laird, Inc, where he specializes in forensic software analysis for litigation and software due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and in-bound licensing deals. Marc will explain what open source is, what compliance entails, and where the risks lie.

• Chris Perez is a software engineer and former engineering manager at Tektronix. Chris will provide practical advice about how technology companies can manage open source obligations in a way that is consistent with company values and mindful of limited resources.

• Jeff Luszcz is the founder and VP of Services and Support at Palamidawhere he leads the professional services team responsible for open source compliance audits. Jeff will discuss how Palamida helps companies manage open source software at all stages of their product lifecycles.

Moderator: Brenna Legaard is an intellectual property attorney at Lane Powell, where she focuses her practice on helping her clients achieve their business goals by securing and enforcing their intellectual property rights.

Who Should Attend: - Hardware Engineers - Software Engineers - Research & Development - Entrepreneurs - Information Technology Professionals - Marketing Professionals

Event Details: When: Thursday, December 8, 2011 Time: 7:30 – 10:00 AM Where: Oregon Zoo, Skyline Banquet Room, Portland, OR Directions to the Oregon Zoo Fees: $50 Members, $75 Nonmembers CLE Credits: Pending Approval To Register: TechAmerica Oregon, 503-624-5715