Label
Inspired by our Executive Director Alicia Gibb, and created by board member Jeffrey Yoo Warren, the Open Hardware Facts Generator helps you declare the licenses used in your project using a format similar to the US Nutrition Facts Label. Listing your licenses in one prominent place (such as the README of your repository) helps users immediately know what they can and can’t do with your source, rather than having to browse through individual files.
Certify
The OSHWA Certification continues to grow, with over 1,000 projects from over 40 countries! If you’re not yet familiar, the certification program provides a way for consumers to immediately recognize hardware whose meaning of “Open” conforms to the OSHW Definition. It also provides a directory for OSHW creators, which stands as evidence that your product is in compliance with the OSHW Definition.
Document
This is the time to document those projects you haven’t got around to yet, or update documentation that has been overlooked for a while. Documenting your hardware is the most important step in open sourcing your hardware because it gives other people a way to use, build upon, and possibly improve it. Publishing your design files publicly can also establish your hardware as prior art. If someone attempts to patent something similar, that prior art can prove that the hardware existed before the patent application, thus preventing it from being granted. Read about some best practices and show us your work @ohsummit!
