VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (VA Linux) has many employees who are involved in Open Source actively, and it supports Open Source communities in many ways. This statement is intended to explain VA Linux's basic principles regarding Open Source.
VA Linux permits its employees joining or starting Open Source projects outside of the company, whether the project is directly related with VA Linux's business or not. It is a matter of course to permit its employees joining Open Source projects which is directly needed for VA Linux's business, and since even purely private projects are expected to enhance employees' ability and knowledge or provide new business opportunity, there is no reason to deny it.
Also, if it is absolutely needed, VA Linux may permit its employees using the company's own resources for their private projects. However, any responsibility regarding activities by VA Linux's employees outside of the company lie with the employees concerned themselves.
When VA Linux developed software from scratch, we always consider the possibility to make it be released as an Open Source software. And if we think it is good for us, we basically make our fruits open source software. Also, as a rule, any bug fixes or improvements done by VA Linux for software developed outside of the company are sent to the upstream authors or projects.
VA Linux is fully aware of the importance of the copyright of Open Source software, and handles it carefully. In case VA Linux developed additional codes to the Open Source software originally developed outside of the company, and those additional codes are originally intended to be released publicly, we basically release them under the same license as the original software, or at least compatible one. If VA Linux considers the additional codes are more quickly merged into the upstream code base if VA Linux transfers its rights to the community, VA Linux might give up its copyright or might not claim some rights.
In principle, VA Linux does not claim any rights on the fruit of employees' private Open Source projects, even if VA Linux's own resources are used for the development of it. VA Linux strongly encourages its employees to give the feedback to the upstream.
VA Linux respects and trusts in the developers around the Open Source community, including its own employees. VA Linux always tries to cooperate with the Open Source community, and promise to work together with people to produce more superb software. VA Linux does its best for it.
