OHANDA: the Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance

Ian sez, "OHANDA is the Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance - an attempt to do for hardware and patents what Copyleft is doing for non-physical objects. They've created a label to apply to physical devices developed under OHANDA. The point lies in what they call the Four Freedoms which any device bearing the logo will enjoy: Freedom to use the device for anything, Study how it works, Change & redistribute, and Release improvements for the use of everyone."

IF YOU DESIGN IT 4 FREEDOM, THEN LABEL IT WITH THE 4 FREEDOMS! (Thanks, Ian!)

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So I’m generally onboard with the idea of a group like this, if it actually does something for designers & users: changes the landscape in a meaningful way, provides a service, support for the maker/hacker community, etc. Thinking I had nailed someone just trying to sell stickers, I looked at the link from OP (I know, riiight!?).

Now I’m thinking that this isn’t a bad idea. The kind of openness suggested is on par with a vague sort of consensus, from the people I know: reduce clutter and overhead (by putting all docs/softs/wikis online), make design open (which many designers already do, and more would if their employers let them, and this is part of the product ID that these people provide), etc.

I like the idea of an official emblem/logo/label that would, in time, be recognized by the public as meaning “quality” or something, one hopes, in the way I would look for a UL/CE logo on some things.

I think I like, and am curious to see how it develops.
Paul Long

“OHANDA,” huh? Reminds me of Kip’s girlfiend’s name, LaFawnduh, in _Napoleon Dynamite_.
Gulliver

Silly users, knowledge is for patent trolls.
Azu

admittedly without investigating beyond this post — what happens when they run out of numbers?
Azu

that is, assuming it’s limited to xxxx-xxxx
Anonymous

I like how they’re shortening OHANDA to OH&A!
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Wouldn’t that make it OHANDPERSEANDA?