How does liability work for open source appliances? That’s the first thing that comes to mind when doing business in the US, especially with a product that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or fires.
IANAL. I imagine a manufacturer would assume liability for an appliance based on an open source design, assuming the design uses a typical open source license that disclaims liability. I'm not aware of a reason why an open source design for a physical product would be different from open source code in this respect. If the manufacturer paid to get the designs reviewed by an engineering firm, maybe they could pass the liability off to the firm for a design defect, depending on their contract?
A lawyer told me once that open source code used in a nuclear project could maintain liability for the original author, but I can't find any evidence to support that. The Paris Convention seems to place strict liability on the nuclear operator with no mention of such an exception.
I don’t see why an open source design manufactured by a competent manufacturer would be any different from a proprietary design. It would need to pass certifications and the regulator may require a version freeze, but it seems like it could be done.
There’s also countries all over the world who don’t have these regulations, and would appreciate good quality plans for useful appliances.
