Open Design Foundation
Open Design Foundation
URL = http://www.opendesign.org/
Description
"Recognizing that mechanical design might benefit from a similar open exchange of information, the authors established the Open Design Foundation (ODF) as a non-profit corporation in 1999. The ODF seeks to support open design, evaluate open design licenses, distribute documentation for open designs via the Internet, and sponsor projects. The ODF maintains the Open Design Definition and evaluates license agreements suitable for use with design documentation and manufactured artifacts derived from open design projects.
The ODF conducts activities primarily through Internet services, which include a web site (http://www.opendesign.org) for general information and links to project web pages. Additional services include basic tools for online collaboration such as an email-based list server with archiving system and a product data management system (PDM) for exchanging data. The ODF also provides instructional documents for techniques used in open design.
In addition to these services, the ODF recognizes the need for foundational infrastructure projects. These projects can help reduce barriers to participation in open design projects. For instance, access to specific software should not prevent any designer or manufacturer from leading or contributing to new projects or building an openly designed artifact." (http://www.opendesign.org/CHIRP_Open_Design_Mfg_Equipment.pdf)
More Information
See Open Design