Happy Xmas to the openEHR Community
2011 has been our year of greatest impact culminating in the decision by the international Clinical Information Modelling Initiative to use ADL. What many in the CIMI group do not yet know is how much effort has been expended and knowledge gained about how to govern these models and implement them in software. The discussion at CIMI will now move to replication of effort (a fresh start) or building on the openEHR effort and review of 13606. Developing ADL 1.5 and openEHR 2.0 as the international standard is a wonderful opportunity with an updated tooling approach preferably on the web.
Importantly, I would like to draw your attention to two legal documents drawn up and signed in September 2011 which are the formal assignments by Ocean Informatics and University College London (UCL) of any interests in or ownership of all specifications, clinical models (archetypes and templates) and other materials on the openEHR website to the openEHR Foundation. While Ocean and UCL did not express any ownership in these materials, the organisations have been major contributors and custodians of these assets. These assignments have been developed and carefully worded with the services of a high profile London IP legal firm working for the Foundation and independent of advice to Ocean and UCL with the express purpose of avoiding any contention as to ownership of these assets in the future.
Software has not been included in the assignment. The Foundation will promote software under licensing arrangements that are considered suitable. Currently this is the Mozilla Tri-license, but will be changed to the Apache 2 license as soon as possible.
Together with the transfer of governance arrangements to an elected Board and management of assets to Qualified Members, this legal clarity will put the Foundation and our community in a position to respond rapidly, strategically and confidently to the needs of the healthcare community.
Sam Heard
Chair of the openEHR Foundation