Nelson: The new 501(c)(3) and the future of free software in the United States
Jim Nelson looks
at why the Yorba Foundation was denied 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and
what that means for other free software projects. "Last year
there was a bit of a dust-up—a scandal to some, a distraction to others,
depending on their politics—when many right-wing nonprofit organizations in
the United States began complaining they were being unfairly targeted by
the IRS. Media inquiries determined IRS examiners were given “BOLOs” (Be
On The Lookout) for certain keywords in 501(c) applications, including “Open
Source Software”." (Thanks to Paul Wise)