Activities
Since its foundation in 2001, the FSFE has been working every single day to further Free Software in Europe and beyond. With our concrete activities, based upon the three pillars of our work, we focus on protecting and extending user rights. Some of our actions run for many years, some are aimed at short-term developments, but all are part of our mission: empower users to control technology.
Another major part of our work consists of continuous engagement and background work. We are present at dozens of conferences per year, support and maintain an excellent community and provide it with helpful resources. Furthermore, we are a prominent contact point for all questions and enquiries around software freedom, and user rights.
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Public Money? Public Code!
Why is software created using taxpayers' money not released as Free Software? We want legislation requiring that publicly financed software developed for the public sector be made publicly available under a Free and Open Source Software licence. If it is public money, it should be public code as well. Code paid by the people should be available to the people!
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Book "Ada & Zangemann"
The illustrated book "Ada & Zangemann - a tale of software, skateboards, and raspberry ice cream" by the FSFE, tells the story of the famous inventor Zangemann and the girl Ada, a curious tinkerer. Ada begins to experiment with hardware and software, and in the process realises how crucial it is for her and others to control technology.
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Youth Hacking 4 Freedom
Young people, from all over Europe, compete in Youth Hacking 4 Freedom to win cash prizes by creating programs of their choice licensed as Free Software. The six winners will be invited to the Award ceremony weekend. Youth Hacking for Freedom inspires people to learn programming and to collaborate.
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REUSE Software
The FSFE is running a project to make licensing easy for humans and machines alike. It solves a fundamental issue that Free Software licensing has at the very source: what license is a file licensed under, and who owns the copyright? REUSE provides easy recommendations in three steps that help users, developers and legal professionals.
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I Love Free Software
We often underestimate the power of a simple Thank You. Free Software contributors do important work for our society and the "I Love Free Software Day" on 14 February is the perfect opportunity for you to express your special gratitude. Since 2010, we have celebrated this wonderful annual event with an ever-growing and diverse community. ♥ ♥ ♥
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Device Neutrality
Although digital devices are ubiquitous today, the number of devices on which users cannot run Free Software is exponentially increasing. The consequence is an increased loss of control over users’ technology. Device Neutrality aims to enable end-users to bypass gatekeepers to have a non-discriminatory use of Free Software on their devices.
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Digital Markets Act
Device Neutrality is the policy concept to regulate monopoly over devices and re-establish end-user control over their digital equipment. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulates the economic activity of large digital platforms and introduces Device Neutrality in the EU legislation, fostering access to Free Sofware in Devices.
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Router Freedom
Although we should be free to choose the technical devices we use in our private lives, some European Internet Service Providers are dictating which device their customers have to use to connect to the Internet, or discriminating against owners of alternative devices. This undermines our basic freedom of choice.
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Free Your Android
Android is a mostly free operating system but unfortunately the drivers for most devices and most applications in the built-in store are not Free Software. This initiative helps you to regain control of your Android device and your data.
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Next Generation Internet
The FSFE is a partner organisation of NGI, a coalition of non-profit organisations from across Europe. Funded by the EC, it provides grants to work on new ideas and technologies that contribute to the establishment of the Next Generation Internet. The FSFE provides legal support for these projects.
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Licence Questions
The FSFE’s Licence Questions mailing list is our group of volunteers dedicated to provide help with Free Software licences and compliance. If you need advice on what Free Software licence you should use, or if you want to know more about what rights you have over a piece of Free Software, you can contact us.
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The ZOOOM Initiative
The FSFE is part of these European consortium to promote and raise awareness about the importance of Free Software, Open Data, and Open Hardware among academia, business, industry, and innovation supporting organizations. As a big part of our work, we are promoting the REUSE specification as an important element for licensing compliance.
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Legal Network
The Legal Network is a neutral, non-partisan, group of experts involved in Free Software legal issues with currently several hundreds of participants from different legal systems, academic backgrounds and affiliations. The aim of the Legal Network is to promote discussion and foster better knowledge of the legal constructs that back Free Software.
More Activities
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Fiduciary Programme
The Fiduciary License Agreement (FLA) allows software projects to assign and consolidate copyrights to a named fiduciary, for the effective management of their copyright status by this fiduciary. This permits developers to focus on making great applications, rather than spending their time dealing with legal administration. While the FSFE no longer accepts new projects under the Fiduciary Programme, we continue to offer customisable versions of the Fiduciary License Agreement (FLA) for your use.
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Upcycling AndroidΟλοκληρώθηκε
Keep using your phone with Free Software. Upcycling Android explains the issue of software obsolescence in the Android world and helps people flashing their phones with Free Software operating systems.
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20 Years FSFEΟλοκληρώθηκε
In 2021, the Free Software Foundation Europe turns 20. Throughout this time we have empowered users to use, study, share, and improve software. In 20 Years FSFE, we thank everyone who helped us along the way. Here you will find interviews discussing the FSFE progress as well as technological issues. You are welcome to celebrate with us!
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Radio Lockdown Directive
An EU regulation may make it impossible to install a custom piece of software on most radio devices like WiFi routers, smartphones, and embedded devices. It requires hardware manufacturers to implement a barrier that disallows users to install any software which has not been certified by them.
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Electoral Activities
What could be a better time to ask politicians about their stance on Free Software and Open Standards than the run-up to an election? We believe we can and should raise these issues in all elections, European, national, regional and local. Depending on the electoral system and culture, we use different strategies and tools.
Software Patents in Europe
We are working towards a world where software does what software users want it to do. For this, software users must be able to participate in the development and distribution of the software. Software patents block this goal by adding legal and financial risks to software development and distribution and by giving the patent holders legal power to completely prohibit software developers from using the patented ideas.
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Learn like a pro
An initiative to bring Free Software in the education sector by increasing the digital sovereignty and competence of students and teachers. Created by the Zurich chapter, 'Lernen wie die Profis' was awarded the DINAcon Award. The activity is in German.
PDFreaders
The PDFreaders initiative aims to shine a spotlight on government organisations that promote proprietary PDF readers. With the help of activists across Europe, we have contacted these organisations and told them how they can improve their websites to respect our freedom. On pdfreaders.org we present Free Software PDF readers for all major operating systems.
DRM.info
Η DRM.info είναι μία συνεργατική πλατφόρμα η οποία ξεκίνησε και υποστηρίζεται από το FSFE για να ενημερώσει και για να κάνει ορατές τις ανησυχίες πολλών διαφορετικών ομάδων σχετικά με τους κινδύνους της Διαχείρισης Ψηφιακών Περιορισμών (DRM). Οι συντελεστές της DRM.info περιλαμβάνουν ψηφιακή ελευθερία, προστασία καταναλωτών, διαδικτυακό ακτιβισμό και οργανισμούς βιβλιοθηκών.
Microsoft vs. EU Antitrust CaseΟλοκληρώθηκε
In 2001 the European Union started investigating Microsoft's dominant position in the market for desktop operating systems. The FSFE represented the interests of Free Software developer as a public interest organisation who cannot be bought off. Thanks to the excellent work by all involved parties, the case was won in all rulings up to the European Court of Justice in 2012.
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Reports about conferences, events, and booths
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) regularly participates in various conferences across Europe. These events feature talks and workshops aimed at discussing the diverse activities conducted by the FSFE. Here, you will find a compilation of the latest reports from these engaging events.
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Software Freedom Podcast
Software users must be able to participate in the development and distribution of software in order to have a world where software does what software users want it to do. Software patents block this goal by adding legal and financial risks to software development and distribution, and by giving patent holders the legal power to completely prohibit software developers from using the patented ideas.
FOSS4SMEsΟλοκληρώθηκε
FOSS4SMEs was a two-year collaborative Erasmus+ project to spread and increase knowledge about Free Software. The FSFE collaborate with the other partners to develop free online educational resources for managers and employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
15 Years AnniversaryΟλοκληρώθηκε
Since its founding in 2001, the FSFE has been instrumental in a successful antitrust case, kept software patents unenforceable in Europe, averted a veritable apocalypse for small and medium sized tech companies, and set groundbreaking legal precedents for the whole of the EU.
EURA Slovakia caseΟλοκληρώθηκε
The Slovak company EURA Slovakia has been facing EUR 5600 in fines because it did not buy and use the Microsoft Windows operating system for submitting electronic tax reports. Slovak tax administration gave EURA only two options: either to buy and use Microsoft Windows or face the fines. The FSFE assisted in this case to advocate for platform-neutral solutions for such procedures instead. Unfortunately, the court decided against Free Software and Open Standards, but we were able to raise awareness about these wrongdoings in Slovakia and beyond.
Unlock Education in the NetherlandsΟλοκληρώθηκε
This activity was specifically targeted at the Dutch education sector, with the aim of enabling citizens to have free access to education and public institutions, both online and offline. By promoting the mandatory use of Open Standards and platform-independent access to all materials, students and parents will be able fulfil their potential for personal growth and development without being dependent on a company.
AVM GPL violationΟλοκληρώθηκε
Can a company modify GPL-licensed software on a third-party device? The router manufacturer AVM accused Cybits of copyright infringement and trademark claims because they modify the original router firmware which is largely based on the Linux kernel. Together with gpl-violations.org we successfully convinced the court that the provisions in the GPL license are binding: software under this license can be freely modified and installed even if it is shipped as part of an embedded device's firmware.
7th EC Framework Programme (FP7)Ολοκληρώθηκε
The European Commission funds research and development through official framework programmes (FP for short). From 2007 these framework programmes were used to select projects for support until 2013. The FSFE played a central role in supported projects related to Free Software.
STACSΟλοκληρώθηκε
Το STACS (Επιστήμη, Τεχνολογία και Κοινωνία των Πολιτών) είναι ένα πρόγραμμα το οποίο επιδιώκει να γεφυρώσει το χάσμα μεταξύ της έρευνας και της κοινωνίας των πολιτών ώστε να διευρύνει την κοινωνική συνάφεια της διενεργούμενης ερευνητικής προσπάθειας. Το πρόγραμμα στοχεύει να ολοκληρωθεί με την επιμόρφωση και των κοινωνικών οργανώσεων και των ερευνητών και την ανεύρεση κοινών προγραμμάτων για μελλοντική συνεργασία.
Forum Διακυβέρνησης Διαδικτύου (IGF)Ολοκληρώθηκε
Το Forum Διακυβέρνησης Διαδικτύου (Internet Governance Forum, IGF) είναι ένα διεθνές forum διαλόγου των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για τη διαμόρφωση πολιτικής, το οποίο καθιερώθηκε ως επακόλουθο της Παγκόσμιας Συνόδου Κορυφής των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας (WSIS). Το FSFE παρακολουθεί το IGF για να διασφαλίσει ότι οι συζητήσεις δεν θα απειλήσουν την ψηφιακή ελευθερία γενικά και ιδιαίτερα το Ελεύθερο Λογισμικό.
SELFΟλοκληρώθηκε
Το πρόγραμμα SELF (Science, Education and Learning in Freedom, Επιστήμη, Εκπαίδευση και Μάθηση στην Ελευθερία) στοχεύει στη δημιουργία μιας αποθήκης εκπαιδευτικού υλικού για το Ελεύθερο Λογισμικό και τα Ανοικτά Πρότυπα. Αυτό το επιτυγχάνει παρέχοντας μια πλατφόρμα συνεργατικής παραγωγής του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού, καθώς επίσης και αναλαμβάνοντας την παραγωγή του υλικού αυτού το οποίο προς το παρόν λείπει από το πεδίο.
MS-OOXMLΟλοκληρώθηκε
Since the beginning of the standardisation process for Microsoft's Office Open XML - OOXML (hereafter MS-OOXML), the FSFE has raised serious doubts about whether MS-OOXML can be considered open. FSFE was the first to raise the issue in the community, led the movement against the standardisation of MS-OOXML, and has been closely following developments over the years.
IPRED2Ολοκληρώθηκε
Μια δεύτερη οδηγία σχετικά με την επιβολή ''δικαιωμάτων πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας'' έχει προταθεί από την Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή. Έχει στόχο να ποινικοποιήσει όλες τις ''σκόπιμες, εμπορικής κλίμακας'' καταστρατηγήσεις, και να επιτρέψει στους κατόχους των δικαιωμάτων να συμμετέχουν στη διεξαγωγή των ερευνών. Το FSFE θα επισημάνει στα θεσμικά όργανα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης πώς τέτοια νομοθεσία ενθαρρύνει την κατάχρηση του νομικού συστήματος και πώς ακινητοποιεί τις νομοταγείς δραστηριότητες.
GPLv3Ολοκληρώθηκε
Στις 29 Ιουνίου 2007 η ανακοίνωση της έκδοσης 3 της GNU Γενικής Δημόσιας Άδειας (GPL) σημείωσε το τέλος μιας δεκαοκτάμηνης διαδικασίας δημόσιας διαβούλευσης. Στη διάρκεια αυτής της περιόδου, το FSFE εργάστηκε για την ευαισθητοποίηση σχετικά με τις προτεινόμενες αλλαγές στην άδεια, για να βοηθήσει την κοινότητα να συμμετάσχει στη δημόσια διαβούλευση, και για να τεκμηριώσει τη συνεχιζόμενη ανταλλαγή απόψεων ώστε να καταστήσει αυτό το ζήτημα προσβάσιμο κατά το δυνατόν.
Παγκόσμιος Οργανισμός Πνευματικής ΙδιοκτησίαςΟλοκληρώθηκε
Ο Παγκόσμιος Οργανισμός Πνευματικής Ιδιοκτησίας (WIPO) είναι μία από τις 16 εξειδικευμένες υπηρεσίες του συστήματος των οργανισμών των Ηνωμένων Εθνών. Ο ρόλος του είναι να διαχειρίζεται 23 διεθνείς συνθήκες που αντιμετωπίζουν διάφορες πτυχές των περιοριστικών μονοπωλίων στη γνώση. Ως παρατηρητής στον WIPO και μαζί με έναν διεθνή συνασπισμό από άλλους παίκτες με παρόμοιους στόχους, το FSFE θα εργαστεί να μετασχηματίσει τον "Παγκόσμιο Οργανισμό Πνευματικής Ιδιοκτησίας" σε έναν "Παγκόσμιο Οργανισμό Διανοητικού Πλούτου."
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)Ολοκληρώθηκε
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-summit UN conference organised by the ITU to propose important cornerstones for the information and knowledge society. The FSFE participated with other civil societies to ensure that the principles of the digital age would protect digital freedom, knowledge sharing, access to information and Free Software.
Brave GNU WorldΟλοκληρώθηκε
The Brave GNU World was a monthly column published from 1999 to 2004, addressed at both technical and non-technical readers. Its aim was to provide an insight into current projects and developments based on the Free Software philosophy. The Brave GNU World was translated into 9 languages, making it probably the most widely distributed monthly column in the world.
6th EC Framework Programme (FP6)Ολοκληρώθηκε
Funding of research and development by the European Commission is usually done within the "framework programmes" (FPs). These last for four years and FP6 started officially on December 17th, 2002. The FSFE sought to help with Free Software related activities in FP6.
GNU Business NetworkΟλοκληρώθηκε
The GNU Business Network had the vision to network all companies, developers and users in and around Free Software in a way that the potential synergies are encouraged and informed decisions become possible.
Classification of Free Software as a World Cultural HeritageΟλοκληρώθηκε
The objectives were to have Free Software classified as an intangible world cultural heritage by UNESCO, and registered in the World Memory Register (another UNESCO project). The Free Software community and UNESCO share the same values of freedom, equality, and fraternity. Such a recognition would be a great promotion of Free Software.
AGNULA: A GNU/Linux Audio distributionΟλοκληρώθηκε
The AGNULA project aimed at the creation of a fully functional, entirely Free Software GNU/Linux distribution for professional audio users. It is a project run by key players in the audio field with funding by the European Commission. The FSFE as a partner of this project is taking care of the legal issues, the long-term aspects and also making sure the Free Software community interests are heard.
EUCD - Copyright extensions that harmΟλοκληρώθηκε
The European Copyright Directive (EUCD) was the European equivalent of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). These laws not only lead to the creation of monopolies and cartels, they also provide serious impediments to the Freedoms of speech and press, as they provide means for digital censorship. The FSFE was actively involved in the resistance against such harmful legislation.
TUX&GNU@school columnΟλοκληρώθηκε
The TUX&GNU@school column was a regular column about Free Software in education written by by Mario Fux. It informed about educational Free Software, useful web sites on the topic and other interesting topics for teachers, students and all software freedom advocates.
We speak about Free SoftwareΟλοκληρώθηκε
Free Software is often referred to as "Open Source". But we are convinced that Free Software is the better term: easier to understand, harder to abuse, well-defined, providing additional value, and offering freedom. We connected companies, organisations and even co-founders of the Open Source movement that prefer to use the term Free Software.