Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Must read for developers, open source or not.
Comment: The first 8 chapters of the book, covering some history and the current state of intellectual property law in the US - should be read by anyone writing code in the United States - whether they work with Open Source or not.
As already mentioned, the language and examples are very understandable. The author obviously 'gets' both sides of this issue and can communicate in a way that resonates with his target audience. I learned a lot just working through the introductory material.
If one does intend to work with, use or contribute to open source software, those portions of the book are indispensable. There is just a ton of great advice and information.
I knocked this out while on vacation last week. I don't know that I've ever read all the way through a book about law before. It was extremely informative but not a burden to read.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Helpful book but maddening writing style
Comment: The content of the book is very useful information if you're involved with any sort of open source project. It covers pretty much any aspect of the law that could be relevant, patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, starting a non-profit organization, etc.
However, the author uses far too many contrived programming analogies to explain legal concepts. Many of them are very contrived (e.x. "this legal concepts has 3 components, x, y, and z, just like this programming concept has 3 components, a, b,c... see!?"). It's like the author thinks that legal concepts are incredibly difficult for non-lawyers to grasp, so he uses programming analogies to teach us dumb programmers about law. I feel like a kid being lectured to by adults.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Organization and Great Writing
Comment: I was lucky enough to see this book in draft form, and even before the final spit-and-polish touches, it was a pleasure to read. The author has a real gift for metaphor; almost every chapter is organized around a vivid, memorable concept. He compares the format of a patent document to the ELF file format; he uses the secret recipe for the Flaming Moe to talk about trade secrets. The result is an introduction to IP law that's unusually fun to read.
But the clarity and verve of the writing doesn't detract from the book's main goal: showing the reader how the IP system works and affects open source software. The author has exercised very good judgment in paring down an immensely complicated body of law into an approachable set of important principles. The reader gets the big picture overview, a clear understanding of the truly important details, and a good sense of what else is out there and how to find out more. This book doesn't try to be a definitive reference or a dumbed-down sketch. Instead, it hits the sweet spot in between: informative and readable.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best legal book on open source I've read (and I've read them all)
Comment: I've been involved in open source and the software world for over 10 years now, and have read every book on open source and legal issues that has been written. This is by far the best.
Why? Because it lays out in clear, easy-to-understand language what open source means for the developer. You don't have to be a legal expert to grasp the principles laid out in the book. In fact, Lindberg walks the reader through commonly obtuse principles by analogizing to software principles that the reader will easily understand.
In addition, it's very well-written. Lindberg has an outstanding style that makes this readable. I won't say it's like reading Charles Dickens, but at times it really is that enjoyable.
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