NEW YORK and STUTTGART, Germany, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wine Project, a prominent open source project that provides a complete implementation of Windows(TM) for Linux and Unix systems, today announced it has engaged the Software Freedom Law Center to provide legal counsel to its project participants.

"The Software Freedom Law Center embodies the highest degree of expertise on Free and Open Source Software legal issues," said Alexandre Julliard, maintainer of The Wine Project. "We know that by engaging the Law Center, even more developers and volunteers will take advantage of the benefits of The Wine Project."

The Wine Project has been a popular and important open source project since 1993. Boasting a development community of more than 600 programmers who have contributed 1.2 million lines of code to the project, Wine provides interoperability for users who want to run Windows applications on open source and free software operating systems.

"As open source projects are increasingly threatened by excessive litigation, technological successes must be partnered with solid legal principles," said Eben Moglen, chairman of the Software Freedom Law Center. "The Wine Project is a particularly important example. By representing the Wine Project, the Software Freedom Law Center will enable further adoption of the project's benefits and increase confidence among users."

The commercial value of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) today is increasing at an exponential rate and changing the playing field for the software industry. To be viable, productive and sustainable, open source projects, such as The Wine Project, need expert legal representation

About The Wine Project

Started in 1993, The Wine Project provides a complete implementation of the Windows API for Unix and X11 based systems. The Wine Project allows millions of people around the world to deploy Windows programs on alternate operating system platforms, without license or performance encumbrances. The Wine Project seeks to allow systems such as Linux to become a completely Windows compatible operating environment and to provide a mechanism for software developers to readily move their software from Windows to alternate platforms. The Wine web page, http://www.winehq.org/, has more information on The Wine Project.

About The Software Freedom Law Center

The Software Freedom Law Center -- chaired by Eben Moglen, one of the world's leading experts on copyright law as applied to software -- provides legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance FOSS. The Law Center is dedicated to assisting non-profit open source developers and projects that do not otherwise have access to necessary legal services. For criteria on eligibility and to apply for assistance, please contact the Law Center directly or visit it on the Web at http://www.softwarefreedom.org/.

NOTE: Windows is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

CONTACT: media, Jennifer Cloer of Page One PR, +1-503-547-9451, or jennifer@pageonepr.com, for Software Freedom Law Center; or Alexandre Julliard of The Wine Project, +1-651-523-9303, or julliard@winehq.org.

CONTACT: media, Jennifer Cloer of Page One PR, +1-503-547-9451, or
jennifer@pageonepr.com, for Software Freedom Law Center; or Alexandre Julliard
of The Wine Project, +1-651-523-9303, or julliard@winehq.org

Web site: http://www.winehq.org/

Web site: http://www.softwarefreedom.org/

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