The people should own the town square (Mastodon Blog)

The Mastodon project has announcedthat founder Eugen Rochko will be transferring "key Mastodonecosystem and platform components (including name and copyrights,among other assets)" to a new non-profit organization:

Practically Mastodon will remain headquartered in and operate fromEurope primarily. We will continue day-to-day operations through theMastodon GmbH for-profit entity, which will become wholly owned by thenew European not-for-profit entity. The Mastodon GmbH entityautomatically became a for-profit as a result of its charitable statusbeing strippedaway in Germany. The existing US-based non-profit entity, the501(c)(3), will continue to function as a fundraising hub.

[...] We are in the process of a phased transition. First we areestablishing a new legal home for Mastodon and transferring ownershipand stewardship. We are taking the time to select the appropriatejurisdiction and structure in Europe. Then we will determine whichother (subsidiary) legal structures are needed to support operationsand sustainability.

Rochko has, naturally, also postedabout the transition on Mastodon.social.