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• Status: draft
• Sources: 2
• Relationships: 4
• Research debt items: 2

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Software Freedom Law Center

Summary

The Software Freedom Law Center provides pro bono legal representation and related services to not-for-profit developers of free and open source software.

Verified Facts

• SFLC was launched in February 2005 with Eben Moglen as chairman.¹
• SFLC provides pro bono legal representation to not-for-profit developers of free and open source software.¹
• SFLC helps free software project leaders organize and manage their work in ways that anticipate and avoid potential legal pitfalls.¹
• Eben Moglen, SFLC's founding director, is a professor at Columbia Law School.¹
• Moglen served as general counsel to the Free Software Foundation since 1994 and was involved in drafting GPL version 3.¹
• FOSS projects seeking legal advice should email help@softwarefreedom.org.²
• SFLC states it cannot give legal advice over IRC and directs projects needing help to email help@softwarefreedom.org.²

Public Contact Information

• Website: https://softwarefreedom.org/
• Team: https://softwarefreedom.org/about/team/
• Legal advice: help@softwarefreedom.org

Relevance to Open Source and Software Companies

SFLC provides direct legal services to open source projects at no cost. They help with licensing issues, organizational structure, trademark matters, and other legal challenges faced by free software developers. Their work in drafting GPL v3 shaped the legal landscape for modern open source.

Relationships

• ORG-SFLC cites SRC-SFLC-ABOUT.
• ORG-SFLC cites SRC-SFLC-CONTACT.
• ORG-SFLC related_to ORG-FSF.
• ORG-SFLC related_to ORG-SOFTWARE-FREEDOM-CONSERVANCY.

Sources

1. SRC-SFLC-ABOUT: Software Freedom Law Center Team Page.
2. SRC-SFLC-CONTACT: Software Freedom Law Center Contact Page.

Research Debt

• Document notable cases handled by SFLC with docket or case-page sources.
• Add independent comparison of SFLC legal services versus Conservancy fiscal sponsorship using official materials from both organizations.

Document metadata

• Last verified: 2026-07-19

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1. SRC-SFLC-ABOUT — Software Freedom Law Center Team Page. Official organizational record. ↩↩↩↩↩

2. SRC-SFLC-CONTACT — Software Freedom Law Center Contact Page. Official organizational record. ↩↩