[Debconf-team] TO status for DebCOnf15's legal entity
Dear Lucas,
there have been discussions about the status of the DebConf 15 legal
entity and its status towards Debian.
The two points of contention are
a) handling Debian's money
b) potentially carrying "Debian" in the name of said legal entity, as
in "Debian Deutschland e.V." instead of "DebConf Deutschland e.V."
For a) there are precedents of trusting the local organisation.
For b), with my trademark team hat on, I don't see any issues even if
the organisation does not become a TO. As Brian disagrees and Joe has
not chimed in, we are tied within the trademark team as of right now.
We do not have the time for long deliberations as an option with the
venue will lapse if we wait too long with signing contracts and as we
need the legal entity as contractual partner.
Yet, I have become convinced that using "Debian" in the name will ease
sponsorship efforts. This means a higher chance of a balanced budget
and a larger travel budget. This directly benefits Debian.
As discussed in #debian-dpl, due to those time constraints, and in the
spirit of collaboration, I am hereby submitting an intial response to
the requirements for becoming a TO[1].
If you think it unlikely that we will gain TO status please say no
sooner rather than later; we would rather do without Debian in the
name than lose too much time.
All that being said:
1. The organization should share Debian's general visions
We are (almost?) entirely made up of DDs, most of us have had Debian
in our lifes for more than a decade.
We agree with the Social Contract, the DFSG, and the Debian Constitution.
2. The organization should remain loyal to Debian
See 1.
Going against Debian's best interest now or in the future would not
only be stupid beyond description, it would also wipe out our
collective reputations.
3. The organization should provide accountability on assets held in trust
At a minimum, we will create yearly accounts and share this data with
Debian Auditors and anyone else the DPL deems useful.
4. The organization should be reliable, sustainable, and reactive
We think we proved how quickly we operate. Many of us hold other
positions of trust.
As to sustainability, we do not know if this organisation will die
after DebConf15 or if we will use it in the future as well. This
decision will be made after DebConf15 and we will get the input of the
community and the DPL.
5. The organization should provide a reasonable financial framework
We are aiming for tax-exempt status and are working with pro-bono
lawyers to make sure this happens.
6. Additional opportunities
This is happening to make DebConf15 the best possible DebConf we can deliver.
On behalf of the DC15 team,
Richard
[1] https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/DPL/TrustedOrganizationCriteria
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