Open Source code repository SourceForge.net has pulled a U-turn on a widely unpopular decision to ban users from accessing its website from countries under US trade restrictions. In a blog post Sunday, SourceForge announced that it has instead handed over responsibility of navigating international trade laws to individual …

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Tuesday 9th February 2010 00:55 GMT Poor Coco

Excellent.

That is indeed a solid compromise. Well done SourceForge!

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Tuesday 9th February 2010 10:01 GMT MacRat

Source Forge is Still Liable

It's very unlikely that there would be any reason for US feds to look at SF, but the law is quite clear that any and all US companies are not allowed to send anything to embargoed countries.

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Tuesday 9th February 2010 10:05 GMT Anonymous Coward

Shows willing...

Nice enough gesture, and appropriate mainly because such measures never keep out anyone determined anyway.

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Tuesday 9th February 2010 10:21 GMT James Hughes 1

Unfortunate position to be in

Although this is a good compromise, SourceForge really are between a rock and a hard place. They must adhere to US laws as that is where they are based, and its users (in US or elsewhere) should have understood that -even if they believe the law is a bit bonkers. But, I guess the people in the OSS movement are quite vocal, but somewhat lacking, at times, in common sense (I give you Richard Stallman).

Well done to SF for finding a decent compromise.

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Tuesday 9th February 2010 11:06 GMT Richard Hebert

Move em then ?

Moving " en masse " to servers located outside the US is an alternative.

Which basically is a good idea.I think sourceforge is and has done a terrific

job over the years but this may be an occasion the other software sites need to

take advantage of to position themselves favorably.This is an occasion for another

service to grow.

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1. Tuesday 9th February 2010 11:29 GMT Destroy All Monsters
  
  Yep...
  
  An open-source site hosted in a nation not at all dissimilar to Mussolini's Italy has a sulfurous smell.
  
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2. Tuesday 9th February 2010 11:32 GMT Naiirita
  
  woukdnt work
  
  that would still be illegal, you cant move your business outside the us to circumvent us export laws. as long as they are based in the US, and a lot of the projects are as well, they have to follow the US law, no matter where the server is hosted.
  
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Wednesday 10th February 2010 04:26 GMT asdf

us damn merkins

I agree might be smart to move the servers away from me homeland. As much as I love the States, the fact big business writes the laws, as well as the right wing nuts Patriot act and finally software patents its ironic that one main birthplaces of the open source movement is also one of the least friendly to it (with the whole rather be dead than red attitude and all). On the other side though it should be pointed out, honestly how much do these banned countries actually contribute?. Considering the literacy rate and computer adoption rate in these countries my guess is it is quite low. Still open source should not be beholden to any government.

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