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FSFE Legal Education Day (LED)

LED Logo

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) provides Legal Education resources that cover important legal topics related to Free Software. We also offer workshops to enhance understanding of these legal frameworks and compliance requirements. Our materials aim to clarify fundamental legal concepts such as licenses, copyright law, and their practical application to your projects through FSFE's REUSE's specification, along with other important legal considerations for developers and the Free Software community.

Free Software grants users and developers the essential freedoms to build a healthy and open digital ecosystem. To ensure these freedoms are preserved and continue to be enjoyed, it is crucial to understand and adhere to the legal frameworks that protect our software projects from potential legal challenges and help them reach their full potential.

We understand that legal matters and compliance can sometimes be overwhelming. That's why we are pleased to offer our Legal Education Day (LED), which is a workshop package designed to provide basic legal education on the Free Software legal landscape . Our goal is to make tasks like licensing your project, understanding copyright, and meeting legal obligations less daunting.

The FSFE also offers customised educational sessions tailored to your organisation, company, or university, depending on your specific needs. If you're interested in hosting a FSFE Legal Education Day, please feel free to contact us.

In addition to live sessions, we've prepared recorded materials that you can access anytime online. Enjoy them at your convenience!

Examples of Our Educational Materials

Gain a basic understanding of copyright law in the European Union and how it applies to software development.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

What is a License

This talk explains licenses, their legal obligations, and the consequences of non-compliance. It also simplifies the concepts of copyleft and non-reciprocal licenses.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

Commonly Used Free Software License

Learn about the most commonly used Free Software licenses and the obligations they entail.

Here you can find the slides l licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

License Compatibility

License compatibility doesn’t have to be a difficult topic. This session simplifies the concept and discusses common incompatibility issues with fun examples.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

The Role of Trademarks for Free Software Projects

This talk covers the basics of trademarks within the European Union and their relevance to logos in software projects.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

Free Software and Human Rights

Discover how Free Software interacts with human rights law and helps society exercise its rights.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

REUSE: Making Licensing and Declaring Copyright Easier for Everyone

Explore common licensing issues and learn how to license Free Software projects effectively and efficiently using the REUSE software.

Here you can find the slides licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless stated otherwise

REUSE Workshop

Check this interactive workshop to learn how to make a repository REUSE compliant.

We also have a comprehensive FAQ addressing the most common legal questions that you can make use of at any time.

Please bear in mind that if you are interested in us providing a Legal Education Day for your organisation, company, or university, you can reach out to us .