[security-area] Are we all lawless?

[Andrew Martin]

Doug Olson wrote:
> Hi Olle,
> First, I am not a lawyer, so ...
> Even so, in the VO's that I am familiar with, largish physics experiments,
> the VO is formed by agreements between the institutions that employ the
> people who decide to be part of the VO. 

That seems to be the way with most VOs I've heard of - a far cry from 
the dynamic on-the-fly set-up many people are talking about and building 
software to support.

> The institutions are legal 
> entities
> but the agreements that form the VO are not necesarily legally binding and
> the VO itself has no legal status, it is not something which can be sued,
> files no tax returns, etc. 

Where there is commercial value - or legal issues over privacy, say - 
the agreements do have to be stronger, with lawyers and redress, and so 
on.  When such a VO becomes very real joint venture, I don't know - 
better ask a lawyer.

Making a grid set-up where you can negotiate such things in software and 
have them adequately legally binding ... seems some way off.

> My 2c.

I'm down under right now, so that had better be my AU$0.02.  But here 
there are no 2c coins, so they'd round it down to zero.

Andrew.