Archivio Notizie
The FSFE needs you to continue spreading software freedom in Europe!
Since 2001 the Free Software Foundation Europe empowers software users to exert control over the technology that is so deeply involved in every aspect of our lives today. As a non-profit organisation, our work is backed by the continuous and generous contributions of our supporters. From public campaigns to policy monitoring, from removing legal barriers to helping organisations in understanding how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination, our supporters have helped to finance our work.
Ottieni più sicurezza con una smartcard e supporta l'attività della FSFE nel 2015
La Free Software Foundation Europe è un'organizzazione pan-europea, fondata nel 2001 per aumentare il potere degli utenti nel controllare la tecnologia. Per permettere all'organizzazione di intensificare il proprio lavoro con la Commissione Europea e per far sì che più persone conoscano il Software Libero, la FSFE ha bisogno di altri 190.000€ per la sua attività nel 2015. L'anno prossimo, la FSFE spingerà più forte che mai per intessere la libertà del software nel tessuto della nostra società .
Annual report of the Free Software Foundation Europe 2018
"Software freedom in Europe" is the yearly report of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). In one document, it gives you a breakdown of important things the FSFE has done and achieved during the last 12 months. In the 2018 report, you will read about our electoral campaigns, our input on the European Union's copyright reform, and about our successful outreach in demanding publicly financed software be made publicly available under a Free Software licence. You will also get insights about the events we (co-)organised and about our community and groups that helped us with these achievements. Finally, we will display some numbers showing what resources we counted on, and giving an outlook for the next year.
Call for sessions at the FSFE assembly during 35C3
In the context of the 35th Chaos Communication Congress happening from December 27th to 30th in Leipzig, the FSFE is happy to host an assembly again, acting as an information booth and a meeting point for our friends and all friends of Free Software. As in previous editions, we offer attention and a stage for self-organised sessions by and for our community, and this is our call for participation.
Free Software changing Microsoft's patent strategy
In October Microsoft took a big step concerning its software patents by joining the LOT Network (LOT stands for "License on Transfer") and the Open Invention Network (OIN). This is a clear sign of progress on the long road to handing control of technology to the people, and the FSFE encourages Microsoft to take additional steps in this direction.
Digital-O-Mat: Wat vinden de partijen in Hessen van Vrije Software?
De Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) heeft voorafgaand aan de komende verkiezing voor de Landdag in Hessen met behulp van een "Digital-O-Mat" de posities van de partijen ten aanzien van Vrije Software onder de loep genomen. Opvallend zijn met name de zwaarwegende verschillen tussen de huidige coalitiepartners. Terwijl de CDU zich voor de status quo uitspreekt presenteert Bündnis 90/Die Grünen zich als ondersteuner van Vrije Software en spreekt zich expliciet uit voor het door de FSFE gepropageerde grondbeginsel "Publiek Geld, Publieke Code!" van de gelijknamige campagne uit.
"Go open today, there's no excuse not to" - interview with Timo Aarnio, GIS expert at National Land Survey Finland.
Oskari is a Free Software platform for browsing, sharing and analysing geographic information from distributed data sources. Its development is coordinated by the National Land Survey of Finland and is organised through the Oskari network with over 38 organisations from both the public and private sector. Oskari was awarded second prize in the cross-border category of the European Commission's Sharing and Reuse Awards Contest 2017 and is currently going through incubation phase to become an official Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) Project. To shed light on best practices regarding Free Software developed by public funds, we have conducted an interview with Timo Aarnio, GIS Expert at the National Land Survey of Finland’s SDI Services department.
Bundesfreiwilligendienst bei der Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)
Wir suchen eine engagierte Person, die Interesse hat ihren Bundesfreiwilligendienst bei dem FSFE e.V. zu leisten. Die Bundesfreiwillige wird Vollzeit (35 Stunden wöchentlich) gemeinsam mit unserem Team in unserem Berliner Büro arbeiten.
New FSFE staff member Alexander Sander: EU public policy programme manager
The Free Software Foundation Europe is happy to welcome our newest staffer Alexander Sander. Alexander is hired as our new EU public policy programme manager and works full-time in the FSFE's Berlin office. In this position, Alexander mainly works with us on policy topics covering Free Software and Open Standards issues at the EU and member state level and helps us identify and monitor EU policy developments to alert the FSFE's network on relevant issues.
"Call to Action: Save Free Software this September"
Free Software is at risk! On the 12th of September the EU is getting ready to vote on a "Copyright Reform" package, which undermines the foundations upon which Free Software is built. The proposed Article 13 of the EU Copyright Directive targets every online service that allows its users to upload and share content with each other, including code hosting platforms.
"Public Money? Public Code!": more languages, more supporters, more awareness
The "Public Money? Public Code!" campaign has received an updated set of translations, including the website, open letter and video. The Free Software Foundation Europe has also conducted interviews to ask public administrations about the benefits of public code, which are now available on our website.
FSFE is hiring: interns and trainees for legal, policy and technical areas
We are looking for interns and trainees experienced in legal, policy or technical fields. The persons will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE's Berlin office. There will be coordination with remote staff and volunteers, and depending on the work area opportunity to participate in events and meetings throughout Europe.
FSFE is hiring: project manager
We are looking for a project manager to support our work to empower people to control technology. The person will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE's Berlin office supporting FSFE projects and managing larger FSFE events. There will be coordination with remote staff and volunteers, as well as travels to other countries.
Using Free Software to build a more democratic, inclusive and sustainable digital society - interview with Francesca Bria, CTO of Barcelona.
Barcelona, the second most populous municipality of Spain, is actively working on a "smart city" agenda that is reshaping modern city's infrastucture and technologies to put citizen's needs first. Key to Barcelona's agenda is the use and promotion of Free Software and open technologies as a social good, to enable collaboration between administrations and to escape vendor lock-ins. Barcelona is also the first City Council who signed the open letter for “Public Money? Public Code!”. To shed light on Barcelona's best practice, we have conducted an interview with Francesca Bria, Chief Technology and Digital Innovation Officer at the Barcelona City Council, to ask her about ongoing innovations and developments in Barcelona.
Technical Note: Mail Issues on June 8
On Friday morning, one of our servers had a fatal hardware crash. This affected parts of our mail infrastructure and mailing lists. Meanwhile, all services are back to normal. We would like to inform you about what happened and which problems it caused. In a nutshell: Please make sure your emails arrived and check your SMTP settings.
How Spanish administrations reuse software - an interview with Elena Muñoz Salinero about best practices.
The Technology Transfer Centre (CTT) is an initiative run by the Spanish government whose goal is to facilitate sharing and reuse of software and services among public administrations. To shed light on this best practice, we have conducted an interview with Elena Muñoz Salinero, head of CTT, to ask her about the legal, political and technological background of the CTT.
LLW2018: The FSFE brings together top legal experts to debate about cross-cutting legal and licensing issues around Free Software
Following more than a decade long tradition, the FSFE once again led its annual Free Software Legal and Licensing Workshop (LLW) in 2018: a meeting point for world-leading legal experts to debate issues and best practices surrounding Free Software licences. This year we decided to bring the event back to its roots and emphasise the "Workshop" part in its original title: around 120 legal experts gathered for a 3-day conference in Barcelona, Spain with an unprecedented amount of parallel tracks and interactive sessions designed to dive into the most contentious topics in the legal world of Free Software.
FSFE is hiring: EU public policy programme manager
We are looking for a programme manager for our policy work. The person will work 35 hours per week with our team in the FSFE's Berlin office. There will be coordination with remote staff and volunteers, as well as regular travels to Brussels and other countries.
FSFE simplifies membership procedures for contributors
During last year's General Assembly the FSFE's Council was asked to prepare a constitution change to remove the so-called "Fellowship seats". This motion was adopted with 20:3 votes and zero abstentions. Today the FSFE's General Assembly approved in an extraordinary meeting the removal of the Fellowship seats. In future, access to membership of the FSFE shall be facilitated through the normal membership procedures for active FSFE contributors.
Call for Participation: FSFE Community Meeting and FSFE track at the Libre Software Meeting in Strasbourg, France
The Libre Software Meeting (LSM) is maybe the biggest community-driven Free Software meeting in France and in 2018 also serves as host of the FSFE community meeting. It takes place in Strasbourg and the FSFE will organise its own track on the first days of LSM, from 7 to 9 of July. This is your chance to be part in the FSFE's community meeting and to give a talk at the LSM 2018 at the same time. Deadline to apply for a talk is April 30 - and before you forget it, apply now!
Chiamata alla partecipazione: Il programma della FSFE sull'"Educazione Digitale" per il Libre Software Meeting a Strasburgo, Francia
Dal 7 al 12 Luglio, si terrà il Libre Software Meeting a Strasburgo, Francia. La conferenza, anche conosciuta come RMLL, si tiene annualmente ed è il più grande evento sul Software Libero in Francia. Quest'anno l'argomento principale sarà "Digital Education: building captivity or new empowerment?". Con il nostro programma cerchiamo di ispirare la consapevolazza riguardo alle gabbie dorate e all'emancipazione, non solo negli istituti educativi, ma nella nostra vita di tutti i giorni.
#ilovefs Report 2018
On Wednesday 14th of February, our community celebrated the annual "I love Free Software Day". A day to declare love to the communities most important to you as well as saying "Thank You" to the Free Software projects surrounding us every single day. The Free Software Foundation Europe also wants to thank everyone who cheered and contributed to make this day as special as it could be.
Ask Your Candidates: I partiti italiani consolidano la loro posizione sull'adozione del Software Libero e Open Source nella PA
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pubblica i risultati del questionario inviato ai maggiori partiti in corsa per le elezioni politiche del 4 Marzo in Italia, in merito alla campagna Ask Your Candidates promossa dalla stessa FSFE. Abbiamo ricevuto un riscontro positivo da "Movimento 5 Stelle", "Liberi e Uguali", "Partito Democratico" e "Potere al Popolo". Purtroppo, nessuna risposta da "+Europa", "Forza Italia", "Fratelli d'Italia" e "Lega Nord".
FSFE Italia chiede la posizione dei partiti in merito al Software Libero
Alla luce delle prossime elezioni che si terranno in Italia il prossimo 4 marzo, il team italiano della FSFE ha inviato una serie di domande ai vari partiti e candidati con l'intento di stimolarli ad esprimere le loro posizioni relativamente al ruolo del Software Libero nella pubblica amministrazione e nel mondo dell'educazione. Pubblicheremo e analizzeremo le loro risposte una volta che le avremo ricevute.
European Free Software Policy Meeting 2018: more joint activities important for Free Software in Europe
Following the well-established tradition of gathering active Free Software groups before FOSDEM kicks off, the FSFE once again partnered up with OpenForum Europe for the third edition of European Free Software Policy Meeting in Brussels, the heart of European decision-making.
Join the I Love Free Software Day 2018
The Free Software Foundation Europe calls on everyone to say "thank you" to all contributors to Free Software on 14 February. Last year the annual I Love Free Software Day has been committed with offline activism to tell people outside of our filter bubble about the importance of Free Software. This Wednesday, we will go back to our roots and focus on why this day has been invented in the first place: to celebrate the Free Software community.
Organisationen und Juristen fordern: Das besondere elektronische Anwaltspostfach muss Freie Software werden
Das Vertrauen in das besondere elektronische Anwaltspostfach (beA) hat nach bekannt gewordenen Sicherheitslücken und erheblichen technischen Mängeln das Vertrauen von Juristen und Mandanten verloren. Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) übermittelt heute ihren Offenen Brief mit Empfehlungen und Forderungen an die auftraggebende Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer (BRAK) zusammen mit drei weiteren bekannten zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen und 21 Juristen.
Wie das besondere elektronische Anwaltspostfach (beA) noch zu retten ist
Das besondere elektronische Anwaltspostfach sollte eigentlich seit Anfang 2018 verschlüsselte Kommunikation mit und unter Rechtsanwälten ermöglichen. Allerdings sorgen zahlreiche Sicherheitslücken dafür, dass der Dienst vorerst offline bleiben muss. Die Free Software Foundation Europe empfiehlt der auftraggebenden Bundesrechtsanwaltkammer (BRAK), durch die Veröffentlichung des Programmcodes unter einer Freie-Software- und Open-Source-Lizenz verloren gegangenes Vertrauen wiederherzustellen.
FSFE releases refreshed set of REUSE practices and a tool to help developers comply
The REUSE Initiative has received an updated set of practices that simplify the process of declaring copyright and licence information. To help facilitate developers with updating their projects, the FSFE has also published a tool that verifies whether a project is compliant.
Radio Lockdown: Current Status of Your Device Freedom
For more than two years the Free Software Foundation Europe has worked on the issue of Radio Lockdown introduced by a European directive which may hinder users to load software on their radio devices like mobile phones, laptops and routers. We have informed the public and talked to decision makers to fix critical points of the directive. There is still much to do to protect freedom and IT security in our radio devices. Read about the latest proceedings and the next steps.
Equip yourself for 2018: Get FSFE's new t-shirt celebrating the 100 freedoms of Free Software!
Wear this t-shirt as an icebreaker to explain binary counting and Free Software to your friends—and look good doing it!
FSFE Yearly Report 2017
The yearly report of the Free Software Foundation Europe gives you a breakdown in one document of important things we have done and achieved during the last 12 months. Read on to find out about our activities, the campaigns we have run, the events we have visited or organised, the groups we have helped, and what resources we counted on to do it.
Dutch government publishes large project as Free Software
The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations released the source code and documentation of Basisregistratie Personen (BRP), a 100M€ IT system that registers information about inhabitants within the Netherlands. This comes as a great success for Public Code, and the FSFE applauds the Dutch government's shift to Free Software.
EU Copyright review: The FSFE joins more than 80 organisations asking the EU member states to reject harmful Article 13
A new copyright proposal is currently discussed by the EU co-legislators. Part of this proposal is Article 13 which can hamper our ability to collaborate with each other online as it imposes new monitoring obligations and installation of arbitrary upload filters on every code hosting and sharing provider. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) today raises its voice to save code sharing and joins 80 other organisations in an open letter towards the EU Council.
Welcome supporters (and goodbye smartcard)
Earlier this year, after a public consultation, we took the decision to change the name of our supporter program, the Fellowship of the FSFE, and talk about our supporters by their true name: Supporters. This is an exciting change for us, as it brings our Supporters much closer to the organisation, by making them an integral part of the FSFE. Today, with the change almost complete, we're also taking the opportunity to say goodbye to the Fellowship Smartcard, which has been a part of FSFE life for more than ten years.
2018 internship positions as student interns
FSFE is a charity dedicated to empowering users to control technology. We are working to build freedom in digital society. We operate in a lively environment with volunteers from many countries. We are looking for students who can join our team in Berlin for three months or more as a mandatory part of their studies or before graduation.
Open position as office assistant
FSFE is a charity dedicated to keeping the power over technology in your hands. We are working to build freedom in a digital society and operate in a lively environment with volunteers from many countries. We are looking for an assistance supporting the office manager with for instance:
32 European ministers call for more Free Software in governmental infrastructure
On 6 October, 32 European Ministers in charge of eGovernment policy signed the Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment that calls for more collaboration, interoperable solutions, and sharing of good practices throughout public administrations and across borders. Amongst other things, the EU ministers recognised the need to make more use of Free Software solutions and Open Standards when (re)building governmental digital systems with EU funds.
FSFE makes copyrights computer readable
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is proud to release its next version of our REUSE practices designed to make computers understand software copyrights and licenses.
General Assembly 2017: new members, new roles and new directions
The members of the Free Software Foundation Europe held their General Assembly on October 15 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The annual meeting is held to discuss strategies for the upcoming year and set the course for the overall direction of the organisation. Amongst other things an overall Code of Conduct for the FSFE was adopted, Patrick Ohnewein was elected as the new Financial Officer, and six new members joined the association.
Call for sessions at the FSFE assembly during 34C3
From December 27 to 30, the 34th Chaos Communication Congress will be held in Leipzig. As in recent years, the FSFE is happy to host an assembly that includes an information booth and a meeting point for all Free Software enthusiasts and our friends to come together. We offer a stage and look for interesting self-organised sessions for our community. This is the corresponding call for participation.
FSFE presents modernised Fiduciary Licensing Agreement 2.0
The FSFE and ContributorAgreements.org proudly present the revised and updated Fiduciary Licence Agreement 2.0 (FLA-2.0) - a next-generation contributor agreement that makes sure the contributed software always remains Free Software.
EU Copyright Review: Tell Legislators to Save Code Share
The FSFE, together with Open Forum Europe, asks the EU policymakers to Save Code Share in the current on-going EU Copyright review. Today we ask you to support our newest campaign Save Code Share by signing an Open Letter addressed to the EU policymakers.In this letter we request EU legislators to preserve the ability to collaboratively build software online in current EU Copyright Directive proposal.
Public Money? Public Code! 31 organisations ask to improve public procurement of software
Digital services offered and used by public administrations are the critical infrastructure of 21st-century democratic nations. To establish trustworthy systems, government agencies must ensure they have full control over systems at the core of our digital infrastructure. This is rarely the case today due to restrictive software licences.
FSFE in 2020: Reaffirming our identity
Our world is constantly changing, as are people's thoughts and perceptions. Since its founding in 2001, individuals engaged in the FSFE, from coordinators and volunteers to full-time employees, have come to develop their understanding of what FSFE is and what our shared values are. Sometimes the views expressed by individuals have been similar to one another, sometimes they have diverged.
European Copyright reform hampers Free Software development
The FSFE and Open Forum Europe teamed up for an initiative to show the implications of the proposed EU copyright reform for the Free Software development ecosystem: Save Code Share. As part of this initiative, today we release our White Paper which highlights the ways in which the proposed Article 13 could unintentionally harm the communities and the businesses built around Free Software.
FSFE announces Software Licensing Best Practices
The FSFE launches today its best practises in licensing for Free and Open Source Software project. Targeted at developers and companies, these best practices show you how to make it clear to others what license your software is being distributed under, in a way which both computers and humans can understand.
Bundestagswahl 2017: Das sagen die Parteien zu Freier Software
Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) veröffentlicht heute, als Teil der "Koalition Freies Wissen", ihre Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum 19. Deutschen Bundestag am 24. September 2017. Zusammenfassend schneiden Grüne und Linke positiv ab. Beide Parteien scheinen die zentrale Rolle von Software zu verstehen und sprechen sich, wie auch schon zur letzten Bundestagswahl, sowohl für den Einsatz als auch für die aktive Entwicklung von Freier Software aus. Im Vergleich dazu sind die Positionen von CDU/CSU, der SPD und der FDP eher zurückhaltend und oft mit Einschränkungen verbunden.
Digital-O-Mat: Compare your views on Internet policies with the parties for the German federal election 2017
Although digital issues are becoming increasingly important, general election coverage often miss them out. That is why the "Koalition Freies Wissen" ("Free Knowledge Coalition") created the "Digital-O-Mat", an online tool for voter information for the German federal election of 2017. The FSFE asked the participating parties about their positions on Free Software. CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP avoid clear statements and thus confirm the status quo, the Greens and the Left in contrast present themselves as supporters of Free Software.
Open internship position as project assistant
FSFE is a charity dedicated to keeping the power over technology in your hands. We are working to build freedom in a digital society and operate in a lively environment with volunteers from many countries. We are looking for an intern to join our remote team for three to six months, working with us on a project which seek to prepare the organisation for the next 15 years of work.
Now in FSFE's online shop: non-binary pink bibs suitable for any gender!
Check out our brand-new merchandise item for little Free Software supporters in our online shop: 100% organic and fair trade bibs. The slogan "I am a fork" is stitched onto the bib so that it will remain on the bib even after many wash cycles.
Estonian presidency in the EU: the FSFE asks for truly interoperable IT services in public sector
The FSFE submitted its comments for the upcoming Tallinn Declaration for e-government drafted by the Estonian presidency of the Council of the EU. Therein the FSFE asks the current Estonian presidency to promote greater inclusion of Free Software in delivering truly inclusive, trustworthy and interoperable digital services to all citizens and businesses across the EU. The Tallinn Declaration will be signed by EU ministers in October 2017, expressing member states' joint vision for e-government and political commitment to follow the goals set. The proposal for Tallinn declaration is open for public comments until 14 July. The FSFE is asking organisations, companies, and individuals to let EU ministers know how Free Software is important for transparent and accountable e-government.
Legal and Licensing Workshop 2017: Its 10th edition "restarts" debates in Free Software licensing
In April, the FSFE organised its annual Free Software Legal and Licensing Workshop (LLW): a meeting point for legal experts from all over the world to discuss issues and best practices surrounding Free Software licences. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the LLW which was celebrated with the record number of participants: 120 top legal experts and technologists came all the way down to Barcelona (Spain) to spend 3 full days discussing legal challenges around Free Software.
FSFE provides Git hosting for its supporters
Sharing one's knowledge is a core principle in the Free Software society, collaboration is another. From today, the FSFE provides its supporters and registered volunteers a platform to create and manage Git repositories with a comfortable user interface: git.fsfe.org.
New European Interoperability Framework calls on public sector to contribute to Free Software
The revised "new" European Interoperability Framework (EIF), adopted by the European Commission on 23 March 2017, gives specific guidance on how to set up interoperable digital public services, and offers public administrations concrete recommendations on how to improve interoperability of their e-services.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is ...
… Daniel Pocock! The election period for this year's Fellowship GA seat has ended on April 24, 2017. FSFE is proud to have such an interested and active community to have had seven outstanding candidates who were running for office this time. Now, Daniel Pocock is happy to take over the GA's Fellowship seat from former representative Nicolas Dietrich.
Digital-o-Mat: Campaigning for freedom in the state elections of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populated state which is having its next general elections on May 14, 2017. For this election, a "coalition of Free knowledge" developed for the first time a "Digital-o-Mat". The "Digital-o-Mat" is a tool to help those voters who are concerned about digital rights and freedoms, to decide about which party to vote for. Therefor, eight questions guide any user to choose his own preferences on important topics about the digital society - like questions about the use of Free Software, Open Data or Open Educational Resources. After filling them out, a user will see which party matches best with his own preferences and he can additionally browse detailed explanations on the party's positions.
Fellowship elections 2017 with eight candidates
According to our constitution, two seats in the General Assembly are reserved for elected representatives of our Fellows. They serve two-year terms and one seat is up for re-election every year. The current representatives are Nicolas Dietrich and Mirko Boehm; Nicolas's term is coming to an end and his seat will be up for re-election this April.
The election period runs from April 10 to April 24, 2017, with eight candidates eligible for election. The list of candidates, along with their manifestos and background, can be found at the election wiki page.
In addition, a moderated hustings will be held on March 30, 5:30 PM UTC to 7:30 PM UTC in #fsfe at irc.freenode.net. Detailed schedule and instructions may be found at the election wiki page.
All orderly Fellows eligible to vote will also receive detailed voting instructions by e-mail in due course.
Input about Free Software for German OGP action plan published
Today the civil society "working group OGP (Open Government Partnership) Germany" (Arbeitskreis OGP Deutschland) published its input for a German OGP action plan. The goal of the Open Government actions is to increase transparency, citizen friendlyness, reporting, and effectiveness of governments and administrations. The input, which was already handed over to the German Government on 20 March, consists of 30 Open Government topics, including a section about Free Software.
PraktikantIn für Kampagne zur Bundestagswahl gesucht
Die Free Software Foundation Europe ist ein gemeinnütziger Verein, der Menschen im selbstbestimmten Umgang mit Technik unterstützt. Dazu helfen wir Menschen und Organisationen dabei, zu verstehen, wie Freie Software zu Freiheit, Transparenz und Selbstbestimmung in der digitalen Gesellschaft beiträgt. Unsere Arbeit und Mission wird von einigen Angestellten und vielen Freiwilligen aus ganz Europa unterstützt und ermöglicht. Für unser Büro in Berlin suchen wir aktuell eine PraktikantIn (m/w), die uns in der Vorbereitung der Bundestagswahl unterstützt. Wir sind ein gemischtes, internationales Team und diskriminieren nicht nach Geschlecht, Herkunft, Hintergrund oder sonstigen Nebensächlichkeiten.
#ilovefs Report 2017: Love and Activism
On Tuesday 14th of February, the "I Love Free Software" day was celebrated for its eighth consecutive year, in what can now be called a tradition. This day has become a special day for people all around the world to declare their love and affection not only to their partner but also to the whole Free Software community.
Freedomvote.nl helps voters compare party positions on digital freedom in upcoming Dutch election
Today FSFE Netherlands, NLnet, ISPConnect, and Open Source & Overheid launch Freedomvote.nl to help inform voters in the upcoming Dutch general election, which is held on 15 March 2017. Freedomvote.nl provides guidance to voters on the topic of digital freedom, based on eight questions.
What happened in Munich
On 15 February 2017, the city council of Munich, Germany convened to discuss the future of their LiMux project. In its public session, the plenary voted to have the city administration develop a strategy to unify client-side IT architecture, building atop a yet-to-be-developed "Windows-Basis-Client". A translation of the complete decision is included further down.
European Commission responds to the FSFE's information request for Horizon 2020
The European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation responds to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request about the use, development and release of software under Horizon 2020 - submitted by the FSFE on January 9, 2017.
Berlin sends a message for "I love Free Software" day
In celebration of the "I love Free Software" day on February 14, the Berlin Reichtag has been illuminated with the message "Give Free Software A Chance" last weekend. On numerous buildings and symbolic places in Berlin other messages have been projected. "Build Free Software - Not Walls" could have been read on the Berlin Wall, and the Federal Ministry of Finances has been decorated by the slogan "Public Money, Public Code". Thereby, activists draw attention to the importance of larger appreciation of Free Software.
European Free Software Policy Meeting 2017
Building on the experience from last year's successful pre-FOSDEM meeting, the Free Software Foundation Europe and OpenForum Europe recently continued the tradition of bringing together active Free Software groups a day before the FOSDEM event, in order to discuss public policy related actions at both the EU and the national levels. This year, the meeting focused on encouraging exchanges of views between individual citizens and decision-makers, by providing practical first-hand information on topics relating to Free Software in public policy.
I love Free Software Day 2017
It's time to say "thank you" on 14th of February, the "I love Free Software" Day 2017. The Free Software Foundation Europe asks all Free Software users to use the traditional day of love to think of the hardworking people contributing to the Free Software we all depend on. As every year there are many ways for people to participate in this campaign.
Report of FSFE's assembly during the Chaos Communication Congress
The Chaos Communication Congress is Germany’s biggest annual meetup of hackers and political activists. This year has been the 33rd edition ("33C3") and FSFE has been present with an assembly, a booth and 21 sessions about Free Software. Read a visual report of our activities along some pictures by Erik Albers.
2017 internship positions as student interns
FSFE is a charity dedicated to empowering users to control technology. We are working to build freedom in digital society. We operate in a lively environment with volunteers from many countries. We are looking for students who can join our team in Berlin for three months as a mandatory part of their studies or before graduation.
The FSFE files FOI request for Horizon 2020
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) files Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, asking for information related to the use, development and release of software under Horizon 2020, the biggest EU research funding programme.
FSFE Annual Report 2016
It has been a busy year for the FSFE. Upholding the principles of Free Software and protecting citizens' from being exploited are ongoing challenges we tackled from a variety of angles. We (and by "we", we mean the staff and volunteers at the FSFE) pored over hundreds of pages of policies and legislations, looking for loopholes through which Free Software could be attacked.
The FSFE asks for more Free Software and Open Standards in Open Science
The Free Software Foundation Europe calls for Free Software and Open Standards to be considered as a vital part of Open Science for all publicly-funded research in Europe. You can help us by sharing our position paper. Read more about the position paper and how you can promote Free Software in science.
Report of the first ever FSFE summit
From September 2nd to 4th, the FSFE organised its first ever summit to bring together our pan-European community and Fellows for a whole weekend and to discuss contemporary and important issues regarding software freedom. On this occasion we also held our official party to celebrate 15 years of FSFE. Read our report including some pictures of the event and find a summary with all talks that have been held with links to our video-recordings.
[Newsletter] FSFE news in December 2016
This month the FSFE newsletter comes for the first time with a call to raise our funds and progress in Russia to further Free Software on political level. Also read about our various activities or participate in our discussion about "Free Software business". As in every newsletter, you also find our out-of-the-community section with interesting news from our community and some good Free Software news from around the world.
Aiutaci ora a crescere e a fare la differenza nel 2017
Quest'anno FSFE celebra il suo 15° compleanno. 15 anni di sostegno agli utenti, di supporto alle comunità e di impegno per una legislazione migliore. 15 anni per vedere che tutte le attività, perfino quelle considerate a suo tempo piccole, possono diventare grandi quando lavoriamo assieme. 15 anni per vedere che tutte le attività, perfino se considerate a suo tempo impossibili, possono avere successo quando restiamo uniti. Insieme abbiamo avuto successo perfino contro le più potenti lobby di vasti gruppi di interessi. 15 anni per comprendere che tutto questo non sarebbe stato possibile senza il supporto continuo della nostra comunità, che ha contribuito con migliaia di ore del proprio lavoro e che ci ha sostenuto anche finanziariamente. Aiutaci ora a crescere e a fare la differenza nel 2017.
[Blog] There is no Free Software company - But!
Since the start of the FSFE 15 years ago, the people involved were certain that companies are a crucial part to reach our goal of software freedom. For many years we have explained to companies – IT as well as non-IT – what benefits they have from Free Software. We encourage individuals and companies to pay for Free Software, as much as we encourage companies to use Free Software in their offers. While more people demanded Free Software, we also saw more companies claiming something is Free Software or Open Source Software although it is not.
[Newsletter] FSFE news in November 2016
This month the FSFE newsletter comes with a public consultation on our Fellowship brand. Read the background and do not miss your chance to participate. Also read about the take-over of FSFE's Vice-presidency by Heiki Löhmus and the ongoing revision of the European Interoperability Framework. As in every newsletter, you also find our out-of-the-community as well as a what-we-have-done section with some good Free Software news and highlights of our press coverage.
[Blog] OpenRheinRuhr 2016 report
Last weekend, the FSFE visited Oberhausen to participate in OpenRheinRuhr, a well-known Free Software event in north-western Germany. We had a strong booth team, gave talks, and enjoyed talking to tons of like-minded people about politics, technology and other stuff. In this blog post you will learn about some highlights of the weekend and what coat hangers have to do with flat irons.
Russian Bill makes Free Software a Public Priority
Legislators have drafted a bill that will boost Free Software on multiple levels within the Russian Federation's public sector.
Heiki Lõhmus takes over FSFE vice-presidency from Alessandro Rubini
Alessandro Rubini has stepped down as Vice-president of the FSFE. Alessandro, an electronic engineer with Ph. D. in a computer science, brought invaluable insight to the internal discussions within the FSFE and has worked tirelessly to push the Free Software envelope in Italy and the rest of Europe.
Berliner Wahlversprechen umsetzen und Freie Software im Koalitionsvertrag verankern
In dieser Woche steht das Thema Netzpolitik auf dem Programm der aktuellen Koalitionsverhandlungen in Berlin. Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fordert die Koalitionäre dabei auf, die in ihren Wahlprogrammen und bei den Wahlprüfsteinen der "Koalition Freies Wissen" gemachten Versprechungen im Koalitionsvertrag zu verankern und Berlin damit zu einem europäischen Vorreiter in Freier Software zu machen. Dazu gibt die FSFE drei konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen.
Call for sessions at the FSFE assembly during 33C3
From December 27 to 30, the FSFE will host an assembly during the 33rd Chaos Communication Congress (33C3) including an information booth, self-organised sessions and a meeting point for all friends of Free Software to come together, share or simply relax. We are looking forward to organise sessions in the name of our assembly and we will book proper rooms or offer our assembly itself. Sessions can be inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, community/developer/strategy meetings or any other public, informative or collaborative activity.
Topics can be anything that is about or related to Free Software. We welcome technical sessions but we also encourage to give non-technical talks that address philosophical, economical or other aspects of/about Free Software. We also like sessions about related subjects that have a clear connection to Free Software for example privacy, data protection, sustainability and similar topics. Finally, we welcome all backgrounds – from your private project to global community projects. If you are interested, read more about our call for participation.
Open internship position as a technical intern
FSFE is a charity dedicated to empowering users to control technology. We are working to build freedom in digital society. We operate in a lively environment with volunteers from many countries. We are looking for a technical intern to join our team for three months, taking part in the work to rewrite and implement a new account management system.
EU copyright proposal reinforces DRM
On 14 September the European Commission (EC) published its long-awaited proposal for a Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market. While we welcome the proposal to introduce a mandatory exception for 'text and data mining' (TDM) in the field of scientific research, we are concerned about the inclusion of a far-reaching "technical safeguards" clause granted to rightholders in order to limit the newly established exception.
Julia Reda, MEP: "Proprietary Software threatens Democracy"
Julia Reda ended the QtCon, a conference for the Free Software community, with a closing keynote on, among other things, Free Software in the European Public Sector.
Berliner Parteien zu Freier Software: Regierung enttäuscht, Opposition macht Hoffnung
Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) veröffentlicht heute als Teil der "Koalition Freies Wissen die Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin am 18. September 2016. Die Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zur Forderung, öffentlich finanzierte Software als Freie Software zu veröffentlichen, sowie zu ihrer Bereitschaft, Freie Software an Bildungseinrichtungen verstärkt einzusetzen. CDU, Grüne, Linke, Piraten und SPD haben geantwortet und erklärten ihre jeweiligen Positionen dazu. Zudem wurden die Wahlprogramme der Parteien untersucht und Vergleiche zu den Positionen der Parteien von vor fünf Jahren gezogen. Dabei schneiden Grüne und Linke positiv ab, bei der CDU, den Piraten und der SPD sieht die FSFE teils erheblichen Verbesserungsbedarf.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Zittende regeringspartijen zijn blijkbaar bang voor Vrije Software
De Free Software Foundation Europe maakt vandaag als deel van de "Coalitie Vrije Kennis de verkiezingstoetsstenen voor de verkiezingen voor het parlement van Mecklenburg-Vorpommern op 4 september 2016 bekend. De partijen konden stelling nemen ten aanzien van de eis om publiek gefinancierde software als Vrije Software openbaar te maken en ten aanzien van de bereidheid om Vrije Software versterkt in het onderwijs in te zetten. De Groenen staan positief ten opzichte van Vrije Software en doen voorstellen voor de omschakeling. De Linksen hebben de betekenis van „Vrije Software“ als zodanig erkent, hoewel concrete voorstellen voor de omschakeling ontbreken. SPD en CDU hebben daarentegen inhoudelijk veel in te halen.
The Document Foundation and the FSFE strengthen their relationship
The Free Software Foundation (FSFE) is joining the Advisory Board of The Document Foundation. At the same time, The Document Foundation is becoming an associated organisation of the FSFE.
In Memory of our Friend Elias Diem
In the afternoon of Saturday 6 August, our friend and active Fellow Elias Diem passed away. He was on his way back home from a hiking trip with a friend in the Swiss alps. He slipped and fell about 150 meters. His friend tried to rescue him, but it was too late. He died of a heavy head injury at the age of 39.
Free Software Foundation Europe Summit 2016 – Non una conferenza tecnica
I sostenitori del Software Libero di tutta Europa si incontreranno a Berlino dal 2 al 4 settembre al FSFE Summit 2016. Oltre a lavorare alla promozione ed all'adozione del Software Libero, celebreremo anche il 15mo anniversario della FSFE.
Compulsory Routers: what customers have to take care of now
Up until now, Internet service providers (ISPs) in Germany determined the router users had to use to connect to the Internet. The user had no say in this decision. This changes on August 1. A new law will allow users choose the device that gets installed in their homes. The FSFE wants to ensure everybody knows about their new rights and is asking users to report cases in which ISPs try to avoid the new regulation.
Registration open: Be part of the first FSFE summit from September 2nd - 4th in BCC Berlin, Germany
Imagine a European Union that builds its IT infrastructure on Free Software. Imagine European Member States that exchange information in Open Standards and share their software. Imagine municipalities and city councils that benefit from decentralized and collaborative software under free licenses. Imagine no European is any longer forced to use non-Free Software... This is what we are seeking. And although this vision feels like a long road to go, we know that we are taking major steps along it today. To help unlock our full potential on this road, FSFE offers cross-border collaboration and in 2016 its first European summit. Join us and our movement.
The Software Heritage intiative: A comprehensive archive of Free Software code
The Free Software Foundation Europe protects users, companies and institutions from technological abuse by promoting the use of Free Software. Now there is a project that protects the code used in Free Software itself and promised to preserve it for the future: Inria presents the Software Heritage initiative.
FSFE's answers to the European Commission's Public Consultation: Revision of the European Interoperability Framework
The European Commission is asking for public input with regard to its plans to renew the European Interoperability Framework (EIF). The EIF aims to promote enhanced interoperability in the EU public sector. The document, originally intended as a set of non-binding guidelines for the EU public administration, is going through its third revision since its initial adoption in 2004. The FSFE has prepared its comments for the draft of the revised guidelines.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is ...
… Mirko Boehm! The election period for this year's Fellowship GA seat has ended on April 29, 2016. There was just one candidate running for the Fellowship GA seat this time. The more we are happy that still 18,9% of our Fellows took their chance to support Mirko Boehm in running for the seat.
Call for Participation for the first FSFE summit
In 2016, the FSFE is celebrating 15 years of existence. What started as a small group of volunteers has grown into a European wide movement with actively supporting members in more than 20 countries. We dedicate this birthday to our community, to those who made us grow strong in the past 15 years - with the first ever FSFE summit on September 2 – 4, taking place in the Berlin Congress Center, Germany. If you like to be part of it, save the date and take part in the call for participation.
EU jeopardises its own goals in standardisation with FRAND licensing
On 19 April, the European Commission published a communication on "ICT Standardisation Priorities for the Digital Single Market" (hereinafter 'the Communication'). The Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy intends to digitise industries with several legislative and political initiatives, and the Communication is a part of it covering standardisation. In general, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) welcomes the Communication's plausible approach for integrating Free Software and Open Standards into standardisation but expresses its concerns about the lack of understanding of necessary prerequisites to pursue that direction.
Joint Statement on the Radio Lockdown Directive
23 organisations including the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) joined up in proposing measures to EU institutions and EU member states to avoid negative implications on users' rights and Free Software imposed by the EU Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU.
Directive Radio - Lettre ouverte à Bercy et à l'Arcep
La directive relative à l'harmonisation des législations des États membres concernant la mise à disposition sur le marché d'équipements radioélectriques (ou directive radio) a été adoptée en avril 2014, avec pour objectif d'améliorer la gestion du spectre radio. Elle doit être transposée et mise en œuvre dans les États membres avant le 12 juin 2016. Quoique poursuivant des objectifs louables, elle impose des critères de conformité pour les logiciels installés sur les équipements radios et constitue une menace inédite pour l'utilisation des logiciels libres. Dangereuse pour l'innovation et les droits des utilisateurs, elle crée une formidable insécurité juridique pour les associations qui, aux quatre coins du territoire, développent des réseaux Internet citoyens sans-fil. Alors qu'il travaille à la transposition de ce texte, le gouvernement français doit d'urgence corriger le tir et garantir la liberté d'installation des logiciels libres sur les équipements radios.
FSFE's work in 2015
From teaching people to use encryption for their e-mail, to changing the direction of policy on a European level, the Free Software Foundation Europe worked hard in 2015 to empower users to control technology. With welcome help from our donors and contributors, we set out with ambitious goals for the year. We saw a lot of improvements in how we work, and we ended the year positively with a lot to look forward to in 2016. Please enjoy this story of (some!) of our work over the year, and thank you for helping us make the world a better place!
#ilovefs Report 2016
Sunday 14 February 2016 was a day to declare love for people we care for. On this day, as a yearly tradition, the Free Software community celebrates "I love Free Software" day to thank developers behind Free Software. This year, for the 6th time, FSFE asked everyone to participate and express their appreciation and gratitude to their favourite Free Software contributors.
I love Free Software Day 2016
It's time to say "thank you" on 14th of February, the "I love Free Software" Day 2016. The Free Software Foundation Europe asks all Free Software users to use the traditional day of love to think of the hardworking people contributing to the Free Software we all depend on. As every year there are many ways for people to participate in this online campaign which has first been celebrated five years ago.
European Free Software Policy Meeting 2016
Traditionally, Brussels is the place to go for Free Software enthusiasts and developers at the end of January. During FOSDEM, hundreds of experts talk about their beloved project and discuss the past, present and future of Open Source. It is a great place for meeting like-minded people.
MEPs vote for more Free Software in public sector
On 19 January, the European Parliament adopted its own-initiative report "Towards a Digital Single Market" in response to the European Commission's Digital Single Market strategy. FSFE is glad to see that the Parliament took an affirmative attitude and a bolder stance towards the increased use of Free Software and its importance to digital single market.
Document Freedom Day in procinto di trasferirsi nelle mani della Digital Freedom Foundation
Nel 2016, la Free Software Foundation Europe è lieta di passare l'organizzazione del Document Freedom Day alla Digital Freedom Foundation. Il Document Freedom Day è la campagna globale per la liberazione documentale e la consapevolezza degli Standard Aperti con eventi seguiti in tutto il mondo. La Digital Freedom Foundation e già nota per organizzare il Software Freedom Day, la giornata internazionale per celebrare il Software Libero.
FSFE's input on ICT standards for the Digital Single Market
FSFE provided the European Commission input on setting priorities in ICT standards and answered to the public consultation on the adoption of a Priority ICT Standards Plan which has been proposed in the Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy.
La FSFE ha bisogno della tua donazione per lavorare a favore del Software Libero nel 2016
Molta gente e tante aziende nella nostra società beneficiano del Software Libero. Dal 2001 la Free Software Foundation Europe dà la possibilità alle persone di avere il controllo sulla tecnologia. Per fare la differenza con il nostro lavoro, miriamo ad ottenere entro il 31 gennaio 140.000€ in donazioni, di cui ne abbiamo già ricevute 60.000€.
FSFE joins April in disagreement on Microsoft education agreement
European Parliament pushes for Free Software
On 29 October 2015, the European Parliament adopted a report (2015/2635(RSP)), which condemned mass surveillance throughout Europe. While focusing primarily on legal precedents of data protection, Parliament proposed new recommendations to improve IT security by migrating to free software, as well as adding free software as a mandatory selection criterion in public IT procurement.
Erfolg gegen Routerzwang: Gesetz für Endgerätefreiheit verabschiedet
Nach fast drei Jahren intensiver Arbeit der Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) und vieler anderer Organisationen wurde am heutigen Donnerstag das Gesetz „zur Auswahl und zum Anschluss von Telekommunikationsendgeräten“ vom Deutschen Bundestag beschlossen. Die FSFE begrüßt das neue Gesetz, da es effektiv den Routerzwang für ungültig erklärt und endlich Endgerätefreiheit für Anlagen wie Modems und Router herstellt.
FSFE submits comments on the European Commission's Digital Single Market strategy
The European Commission has set a goal to make the EU's single market fit for the digital age by adopting “A Digital Single Market Strategy” which is aimed at bringing down regulatory barriers between 28 different national markets. According to the Commission, a true Digital Single Market (DSM) can be achieved by taking the following actions:
Zurich Fellows offer Laptops with Libreboot
Fellows in Zurich started "Free Computer for Free People", an initiative to offer laptops that run completely on Free Software only. This includes alternative firmware as well as free BIOS. By reusing used hardware, the Zurich Fellows also like to foster a sustainable use of hardware.
FSFE signs association joint letter for terminal device freedom
Together with 9 other civil and economic organisations the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) sent a letter to numerous members of the German Bundestag concerning the compulsory routers issue at the present Wednesday. The letter is supposed to highlight the importance of passing the bill for freedom of terminal devices in telecommunication.
Pictures from the FSF's 30th birthday are now available
Interview with FSFE Fellow Isabel Drost-Fromm
Today is Ada Lovelace Day, a day that aims to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. FSFE happily joins the celebration of Ada Lovelace Day by interviewing Isabel Drost-Fromm - long time FSFE Fellow, member of the Apache Software Foundation and co-founder of Apache Mahout as well as the Berlin Buzzwords conference. Read about Free Software migration, free search engines, Java, Berlin and her advice for your personal contributions.
Revisiting the Sony Rootkit fiasco 10 years later
Today the Free Software Foundation Europe looks back on the Sony rootkit fiasco from 2005. This page outlines some facts about the rootkit and how it was handled, as well as some context about what these kinds of restrictions mean for the notion of computers as general purpose machines. 31 October 2015 marks the 10 year anniversary of when the rootkit was discovered, and in preparation for this day, we ask you all to use this information and spread the word, not only about the Sony rootkit, but about the dangers of digital restrictions on users' freedoms everywhere.
La FSFE convince 1125 amministrazioni pubbliche a rimuovere annunci pubblicitari di software proprietario
Dopo sei anni di attività, la campagna sui lettori di PDF sta volgendo al termine questo mese come una tra le iniziative di maggior successo.
[Blog] 30 years Free Software Foundation
On 4 October 1985 Harold Abelson, Robert J. Chassell, Richard M. Stallman, Garald Jay Sussman, and Leonard H. Tower, Jr. incorporated the Free Software Foundation, Inc. The application included also the GNU Emacs General Public License, the GNU Manifesto, a list of software which was already written (Bison, MIT Schema, Hack, plus a list of several Unix utility replacements)...
La FSFE elegge i suoi nuovi Presidente e Vice Presidente
Matthias Kirschner e Alessandro Rubini sono, rispettivamente, il nuovo Presidente e Vice Presidente della FSFE. Sono stati eletti la settimana scorsa a Bucarest durante l’Assemblea Generale della FSFE mentre Reinhard Müller è stato rieletto Tesoriere; rimarranno in carica per i prossimi due anni.
La valutazione FSFE del rapporto sul copyright del Parlamento UE
Il 6 Luglio, il Parlamento Europeo ha votato un rapporto contenente varie raccomandazioni per la riforma del copyright. Oggi presentiamo la nostra valutazione di come questo potrebbe influire sul Software Libero.
"Freedomvote": 10 domande sulla libertà digitale in occasione delle elezioni nazionali svizzere
In previsione dell’elezione del Parlamento nazionale svizzero (Consiglio nazionale e Consiglio degli Stati) che si terrà il 18 ottobre 2015, la FSFE Svizzera lancia oggi la campagna "Freedomvote", in collaborazione con lo "Swiss Open Systems User Group“ (/ch/open). La campagna offre un portale online che elenca i candidati e le loro opinioni riguardo le politiche di Internet, il Software Libero e i formati di dati aperti.
La lunga strada dai router obbligatori alla libertà di scelta
Il router. Nonostante spesso sia un oggetto impolverato, è uno dei dispositivi più importanti necessari ad usare internet o il telefono. Comunque: la maggior parte degli utenti in Germania non possiedono questo dispositivo anche se è collocato nelle loro case e devono pagare per tenercelo.
La FSFE sostiene il riconoscimento dei diritti ai propri dati
La FSFE sostiene la pubblicazione del User Data Manifesto 2.0, che mira a definire i diritti di base necessari affinché le persone possano controllare i loro dati nell'era di internet. Il manifesto viene pubblicato oggi ed è sostenuto anche da GNOME, KDE, Netzpolitik.org, ownCloud, Spreed, “Terms of Service - Didn’t Read” e X-Lab.
Il ruolo della FSFE nel progetto Bacula
Ad aprile 2015, abbiamo annunciato un cambiamento nelle relazioni tra Kern Sibbald e la FSFE dovuto alla cancellazione del "Fiduciary Licence Agreement" (FLA) tra Kern e la FSFE, il quale aveva in precedenza reso la FSFE una fiduciaria per il copyright sul software Bacula.
Interview with FSFE Fellow Neil McGovern
After some discontinuity, FSFE will start again to interview their sustaining members. This way, we like to show you who we are, where we come from and what we stand for. This month and as the first in our new series, we interviewed Neil McGovern, FSFE from the United Kingdom. Neil has been working in the Open Rights Group and was recently elected as Debian Project Leader (DPL). Read about his role as DPL, his engagement in Free Software as well as on political levels.
FSFE welcomes adoption of copyright report in EP's JURI committee
In an important step towards modernising the EU's copyright laws, the Legal Affairs committee of the European Parliament on Tuesday adopted a report on the Copyright Directive by MEP Julia Reda.
FSFE submits comments on Reda copyright report
On June 16th, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee will vote on a report with a number of groundbreaking recommendations for copyright reform.
FSFE is looking for a systems administrator and architect
Please note that this position is no longer open for applications. The Free Software Foundation Europe was founded in 2001 and has gone through a tremendous growth since then, both in the number of volunteers and staff, and also in the complexity of our technical infrastructure and the number of services we run and offer for both internal and external use. We're currently looking for a system administrator and architect that, for a limited time, can support us in our work to migrate our services to a new infrastructure.
Un limite alle limitazioni tecnologiche
Ma tutti noi dipendiamo dalla possibilità di installare o sostituire i programmi che usiamo ogni giorno, per aumentarne la sicurezza, la privacy o la praticità -- oppure semplicemente perché preferiamo usare un altro programma sui nostri apparecchi, siano essi laptop, tablet, telefoni, router, televisori, automobili o altro ancora.
[Blog] Final PDFreaders advertisement squashing
We currently wrap-up the PDFreaders campaign, and we need your help to measure our success. Started in 2009 FSFE’s goal with the campaign was to get rid of advertisement for proprietary PDF readers. We focused on the websites of public administrations, and many people helped us gather contact details for over 2000 public websites which advertised non-free software. Many people helped us to contact the public administrations, governments were made aware of it and published guidelines. Until now we know that 772 of the 2110 bugs were fixed, which is a 36% success rate. But for most countries we did not check the status for several months now. That’s why we need your help now to make one final round. We are looking for volunteers who can help us checking websites in their native language, following the step-by-step guide in the blog post.
Statement on changed relations between the FSFE and Kern Sibbald
Effective the 6th of March 2015, the FLA between Kern Sibbald and FSFE has been terminated at the request of Kern Sibbald. The FSFE is committed to ensuring to the best of its ability that Bacula.org software remains Free Software, and can only regret that Kern Sibbald in this way chose to terminate the FLA.
Gli Standard Aperti nel mondo
Durante il Document Freedom Day in tutto il mondo si parla degli Standard Aperti. Nel 2015 abbiamo reso l'evento ancora più globale con, complessivamente, 63 gruppi che hanno organizzato eventi locali in 31 paesi di 4 contintenti. In tutto il mondo, volontari, sostenuti da organizzazioni internazionali, politici e enti pubblici, si sono uniti alla nostra richiesta di libertà nei documenti. Scopri in questo resoconto cosa è successo durante il Document Freedom Day 2015.
A cautious welcome to the EC's new Free Software strategy
Oproep tot evaluatie: vragen over het Duitse Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
FSFE supports Hellwig's GPL compliance lawsuit
FSFE welcomes the action which Christoph Hellwig and the Software Freedom Conservancy are taking to bring VMware into compliance with the GNU General Public License.
Joint statement : Maximising inclusiveness and engagement through the use of Open Standards in the European Commission
Today is Document Freedom Day, the international day to celebrate and raise awareness of Open Standards. On this occasion, we would like to reflect on the importance for public institutions in general, and for the European Commission in particular, considering its leadership role, of using Open Standards in all their digital communication and services.
Worldwide more than 50 events about Open Standards
On March 25 is this year's Document Freedom Day and, depending on your time zone, it has already started. Document Freedom Day is the global campaign for document liberation by local groups throughout the world. So far more than 50 groups registered their events in over 25 countries ranging from Asia, Europe, Africa, to South and North America.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is Nicolas Dietrich
… Nicolas Dietrich! The election period for this year's Fellowship GA seat has ended on March 13, 2015. FSFE is proud to have had three outstanding candidates that were running for office this time. Now, Nicolas Dietrich is happy to take over the GA's Fellowship seat from former representative Heiki "Repentinus" Lõhmus.
Swiss Federal Council considers legal assurance for release of Free Software
Currently, there is uncertainty in Switzerland regarding the development and release of Free Software by public contractors. The trigger for this was the development and release of the software OpenJustitia by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. The federal council now wants to examine whether the publication of Free Software by the federal administration can be explicitly allowed. The Free Software Foundation Europe demands a clarification so that publicly-financed software can unambiguously be legally released as Free Software
#ilovefs Report 2015
On Saturday, 14 February 2015, people all over the world showed Free Software contributors their appreciation. It was the fifth year the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) asked people to participate in the “I Love Free Software” day. This report shows a variety of love declarations that happened this day, including blog posts, pictures, comics, poems, and an #ilovefs Android library. The FSFE thanks everybody who motivated Free Software contributors this year, and ask everybody to mark 14 February in their calendars for next year's “I love Free Software” day.
Jonas Öberg joins FSFE as Executive Director
FSFE has recruited long-time Free Software activist Jonas Öberg to be the organisation's Executive Director. He joins the organisation's leadership team on March 1.
Call for events: Be a part of Document Freedom Day 2015
Document Freedom Day (#DFD2015) is a global campaign for document liberation, with grassroots events throughout the world taking place on March 25, 2015. Add your voice to this worldwide celebration of Open Standards, and register your DFD event for 2015!
FSFE responds to EU consultation on patents and standards
In order to push for a more enlightened policy approach to managing innovation and knowledge, FSFE has submitted a response [pdf] to an EU consultation on patents and standards. This is the latest action in FSFE's ongoing work in promoting Open Standards.
Position paper for the boost of Open Educational Resources on the basis of Free Software
Together with FSFE and other partners, the Bündnis Freie Bildung ("Free Education Alliance") today publishes its position paper about the creation and usage of Open Educational Resources (OER). Therein, the Bündnis demands a consequent publishing of all OER-material under public licences and their availability as Free Software and in Open Standard formats.
Mostra il tuo affetto per il Software Libero
Il 14 febbraio di ogni anno, la Free Software Foundation Europe chiede a tutti gli utenti che usano il Software Libero di pensare alle persone che lavorano intensamente nella comunità del Software Libero, e di mostrare il loro apprezzamento personale durante questa giornata "Io amo il Software Libero".
EU to fund Free Software code review
The European Parliament has approved funding for several projects related to Free Software and privacy. In the EU budget for 2015, which the European Parliament adopted on December 17, the Parliamentarians have allocated up to one million Euro for a project to audit Free Software programs in use at the Commission and the Parliament in order to identify and fix security vulnerabilities.
Happy Birthday April!
April, France's leading Free Software advocacy organisation, was founded 18 years ago today.April was set up in December 1996 by students in a Paris university as a not-for-profit group to promote Free Software in computer science research.
Il lavoro della FSFE nel 2014
Il mondo di domani viene deciso da quello che facciamo oggi. La FSFE aiuta la gente a capire in che modo la tecnologia influenza i propri diritti e le proprie libertà, e permette ad ognuno di scoprire la propria strada nel mondo digitale. Qui ci sono i risultati che abbiamo raggiunto nel 2014, e anche i progetti che stiamo preparando!
Protect your privacy - Help GnuPG hire a second developer!
GnuPG is the world's leading privacy tool, with an estimated base of more than four million active users world-wide, and a thousand new users each day. It guards emails, files, and programs from snooping and spying on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux. This crucial program needs your help to keep going in 2015 and beyond.
Study: To ensure transparency, European Parliament must adopt Free Software, Open Standards
A study released on Friday says that the European Parliament must adopt Free Software and Open Standards in order to fulfil its transparency obligations. The authors conclude that "the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament should whenever possible make Free Software and Open Standards mandatory for all systems and data used for the work of Parliament."
[Blog] FSFE comments at European Parliament's DG ITEC conference
At a meeting in the European Parliament, FSFE's president Karsten Gerloff highlighted several ways in which the Parliament could become more transparent, and make better use of Free Software and Open Standards.
In a short intervention, he urged the Parliament to finally make its live streams accessible to Free Software users. He asked the Parliament's IT administration to enable IMAP access on its mail servers to allow Free Software users to connect through standard protocols, and warned the Parliament to avoid lock-in as it progresses towards greater digitisation.
In Switzerland, the legal basis for the government to support Free Software is still lacking
For the time being, the public development of the Free Software 'OpenJustitia' by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has ceased because of a new legal opinion. The reason for this abrupt end is apparently the legal uncertainty regarding public contractors in Switzerland. The FSFE demands that the missing legal framework be created as soon as possible so that software developed with public funding in Switzerland in the future can also be released as Free Software.
FSFE is looking for an intern for Document Freedom Day
Every year, the FSFE is organising the "Document Freedom Day", a global campaign to highlight the importance of Open Standards for our freedom of communication, interoperability and indepedence from vendor lock-in. For this campaign, FSFE's Berlin office is looking for an Intern PR / Campaigning in full time from January 1st until March 31st.
I consumatori italiani non devono pagare per software che non vogliono. - Lettera all'AGCM
La FSFE e l'associazione per la protezione dei consumatori ADUC, assieme con l'Italian Linux Society, chiedono al poteri regolamentari di intraprendere passi concreti al fine di proteggere gli italiani dall'essere forzati a pagare software che non vogliono o di cui non hanno bisogno. La corte di Cassazione ha deciso in settembre che i venditori di computer devono rimborsare i clienti del prezzo pagato per software non libero e non voluto che venga preinstallato su PC fissi e portatili. Oggi, FSFE, ADUC e ILS hanno mandato una lettera all'Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), chiedendo che i rivenditori di computer rispettino la decisione della Suprema Corte e rispettino i diritti dei cittadini.
Munich sticks with Free Software
On Tuesday, Munich's first mayor finally reacted to an inquiry by the Green Party (in German) related to rumours regarding a possible switch back to a Windows-based desktop environment. The answer to the inquiry shows that there is no factual basis for the claims made by first mayor and second mayor. An evaluation of the IT infrastructure and -processes is underway. FSFE calls on the city council to include vendor independence as well as interoperability as factors in the investigation, since they were central reasons for Munich to switch to Free Software in the first place.
Transparenzverordnung: Bundesnetzagentur legitimiert Zwangsrouter
Die Free Software Foundation Europe sieht den aktuellen Entwurf der "Transparenzverordnung" der Bundesnetzagentur als Legitimierung einer Entmündigung von Verbrauchern.
Italia: la Corte di Cassazione abbatte l'imposta di Windows
La Corte di Cassazione Italiana ha assestato un forte colpo contro la pratica di imporre software non libero a chi acquista PC e laptop. Secondo quanto riportato da La Repubblica, martedi la corte ha depositato una sentenza nella quale ad un acquirente è stato riconosciuto il diritto di ricevere un rimborso per il prezzo della licenza Microsoft Windows involotariamente acquistata con il suo computer.
Blog : 5 approximations à rectifier pour bien s’y repérer dans les licences libres
Des approximations peuvent être sources de confusion dommageable à la compréhension et à l’application des licences de logiciels libres. Cet article de blog se propose d’en résoudre cinq, présentées dans un article du JDN.
Your input wanted: How do we build a better future?
Free Software has progressed in leaps and bounds since we founded FSFE in 2001. But we still have a long way to go until we can all be in control of our computing, our data, and our digital lives.
[Blog] Report from our German speaking team meeting 2014
From 13 – 15 June 2014 FSFE had its German speaking team meeting in the Linuxhotel in Essen. The participants had some problems to travel there because of the chaos resulting from a heavy thunderstorm in the region. A lot of train lines where not functional, and the situation on the streets was also chaotic. But just because no ICE trains stop in Essen does not mean we will not continue our work for Free Software. In the end we were able to bring all volunteers to the Linuxhotel to plan further activities and discuss current issues.
EC distorts market by refusing to break free from lock-in
The European Commission has recently renewed its commitment to a proprietary desktop and secret file formats.The Commission is refusing to get serious about breaking free from vendor lock-in, and is ignoring all available alternatives. In doing so, the EU's civil service fails to practice what it preaches.
[Blog] Translations of FSF's email self-defence now available
Today our sister organisation, the FSF, published their e-mail self defence guide and their infographic in 6 new languages. It is now available in English, German, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Russian, Turkish, and Japanese. They explain the installation of the necessary programs for e-mail encryption under GNU/Linux, MacOS, and Microsoft Windows; the key generation; the web of trust; as well as the usage of those programs. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection, an email account, and about half an hour. Please give us feedback, so we can include that before printing the infographics, and help us to spread them.
[Blog] Schutz vor Überwachung durch Verschlüsselung mit Freier Software
Eine charakteristische Eigenschaft digitaler Kommunikation ist ihre vermeintliche Stofflosigkeit. Diese Stofflosigkeit ist es, die auch ein prinzipiell unbegrenztes Speichern und Archivieren aller elektronischen Kommunikation ermöglicht. Das, und die Möglichkeit diese Daten massenhaft und maschinell auszuwerten und zu analysieren, verleitet Geheimdienste rund um den Globus zum abhören und speichern unser aller Kommunikation. Als Gegenmaßnahme könnte man wieder vermehrt offline kommunizieren – oder aber eine starke Verschlüsselung durch Freie Software verwenden..
FSFE: 33 Free Software Pact supporters elected to the European Parliament
The European elections have brought 33 Free Software supporters into the new European Parliament. Candidates across the political spectrum signed the Free Software Pact, promising to support Free Software and Open Standards during their time in Parliament. Out of 162 signatories, 33 were elected
[Blog] We're all Gmail users now: Privacy as an ecological issue
Even if you're not using Google's Gmail service yourself, many of your friends will. How well can we really protect our privacy when we opt out of centralised web services?
Open Letter to European Commission: Stop DRM in HTML5
On today's "Day against DRM", the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has sent an open letter to the European Commission, asking the EC to prevent Digital Restrictions Management technology from being closely integrated with the HTML5 standard.
Document Freedom Day 2014 Report Published
Open Standards were celebrated to the ends of the earth for Document Freedom Day 2014, with 51 events in 22 countries. The campaign for interoperability was enacted from Tokyo to Rio, and Birmingham to Taipei.
FSFE welcomes industry initiative to fund critical Free Software projects
Today the Linux Foundation announced the "Core Infrastructure Initiative" to fund and support Free Software projects that are critical to the security of Internet users. The first project to receive funding will be OpenSSL, which is used for secure data transportation by millions of websites. FSFE welcomes this initiative.
CCC and FSFE: German Federal Network Agency must improve
After multiple public hearings and political debates, the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) presented a set of proposed regulations (German) that would eliminate compulsory use of particular routers and improve the transparency of telecommunication firms for customers. Compulsory routers tie customers to a device provided by the ISP. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), Chaos Computer Club (CCC), and the project leadership of IPFire and OpenWrt, as well as other experts, reviewed these regulations and gave comments to the BNetzA (German)
Open Letter to EU institutions: Time to support Open Standards
In an open letter to the European Parliament and the European Commission, Free Software Foundation Europe and Open Forum Europe are asking the European institutions to improve their support for Open Standards. The letter is directed to Giancarlo Vilella, the president of the European Parliament's DG ITEC and chair of the Inter-Institutional Committee for Informatics.
Document Freedom Day delivers messages of interoperability around the world
Over the following 24 hours Open Standards will be celebrated to the ends of the earth. The Document Freedom Day campaign for interoperability is being enacted from Tokyo to Rio, and Birmingham to Taipei. 41 Events are taking place in 18 countries so far.
Computers in the post-Snowden era: choose before paying!
The revelations from Edward Snowden concerning massive surveillance of communications demonstrates the need for each person to be able to control their computers and phones. Yet computer and telephone manufacturers and retailers typically impose on users programs that jeopardise their privacy.
Asian Legal Network launched
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), Open Invention Network (OIN), and The Linux Foundation announced today the launch of the Asian Legal Network. The Asian Legal Network was established to provide a leading forum for sharing knowledge and best practices regarding Free Software legal affairs, particularly those that relate to market participants in Asia.
OB-Wahl in München: LiMux Erfolg ausbauen, Umstellungsschmerzen abarbeiten
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlichte heute gemeinsam mit dem Förderverein für eine Freie Informationelle Infrastruktur München ihre Freie-Software-Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl der Oberbürgermeisterin bzw. des Oberbürgermeisters der Stadt München am 16. März 2014. Die OB-Kandidatinnen und -Kandidaten konnten sich zu Fragen hinsichtlich Freier Software und Offener Standards in München im Allgemeinen und des LiMux-Projekts im Speziellen sowie sicherer Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten und der kommunalen Datenweitergabe äußern.
Get candidates for this years’ European elections to make a stand for Free Software
From May 22 to 25 in 2014 European citizens will vote for candidates standing for the European Parliament. This is an ideal time to engage with politicians with why Free Software matters. Help us to get the candidates across Europe to declare their support for Free Software.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is…
…Stefan "Penny" Harmuth! The election period for this year's Fellowship GA seat has ended on February 28. There was just one candidate running for the Fellowship GA seat this time. The more we are happy that still 20,3% of our Fellows took their chance to support Stefan Harmuth in his run for the seat.
FSFE comments on UK proposal on document formats
FSFE has submitted comments on a proposal by the UK government to use only document formats based on Open Standards in future.
Report giornata #ilovefs 2014
Il 14 Febbraio, persone di tutto il mondo hanno espresso la propria gratitudine e il proprio apprezzamento non solo ai propri amati, ma anche al Software Libero e a chi collabora per farlo funzionare. Con la nostra iniziativa annuale #ilovefs, vi abbiamo chiesto di ringraziare i vostri sviluppatori e progetti preferiti e siamo stati sopraffatti dalle risposte sui blogs, social network, e sulle mailing list.
Three things to do on The Day We Fight Back
This Tuesday is a day to fight back against mass surveillance, and here at FSFE we're proud to be part of the struggle.
Show your love for Free Software
On 14th February, the Free Software Foundation Europe asks all Free Software users to think about the dedicated hard-working people in the Free Software community and to show them their appreciation like last year.
L'Italia privilegia il Software Libero nel settore pubblico
Il governo italiano ha fatto del Software Libero l'opzione predefinita per le pubbliche amministrazioni. In un documento, pubblicato mercoledì scorso, l'Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale ha fissato regole in base alle quali tutte le organizzazioni governative del paese devono valutare l'utilizzo di Software Libero prima di acquistare licenze per programmi proprietari.
160,000 Euro short for 2014
As a reader of our website, you are aware of the importance of Free Software for a free society. The FSFE has been fighting for Free Software since 2001. Since then, we have made a big difference by exercising political pressure, helping Free Software developers with legal expertise, and building public awareness for software freedom. To continue this important work, we need a total budget of 390,000 Euro for 2014. We are currently still 160,000 short of this goal.
Verpasste Chancen: Wo die Große Koalition nachbessern muss
Der finale Koalitionsvertrag, über den die SPD-Mitglieder bis zum 14. Dezember abstimmen, beschreibt sich selbst als Weichenstellung hin zu einer echten digitalen Gesellschaft. Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) kann ebenfalls Fortschritte erkennen, aber keine Meilensteine, die Deutschland zum Spitzenreiter der Digitalisierung von Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft machen würde, wie es sich die Koalitionspartner zum Ziel gesetzt haben.
When DRM comes to cars (English)
For a long time, cars were a symbol of freedom and independence. No longer. In its Zoe electric car, car maker Renault apparently has the ability to remotely prevent the battery from charging. And that’s more chilling than it may sound.
Rockstar vs. Google: Software patents as a license for privateering
Rockstar, a consortium of companies formed to collect certain patents put on sale in the dissolution procedure of Nortel, has sued Google and other companies over seven of those patents.
Server-Spende: FSFE sagt Danke!
Vor kurzem haben wir einen gebrauchten Server vom österreichischen Hoster abaton in Wien gespendet bekommen. Mit der neuen Maschine wird die FSFE ihre Infrastruktur ausbauen und ausfallsicherer gestalten.
New Campaign launches: TheyDontWantYou.To
Today FSFE launches a new campaign to make young people aware of the digital restrictions that they tolerate. Microblogging and guerilla stickering form core components of this fresh strategy for engaging youth in fighting for digital freedom.
Internet-Anbieter: Routerzwang schadet Nutzern
Internet-Anbieter zwingen ihren Kunden oft Router auf, über die diese keine Kontrolle haben. Der Anbieter hält dabei die Zugangsdaten für den Internet- und Telefoniezugriff sowie verwendete Protokolle und Anschlüsse vor dem Kunden geheim.
Changing the world: The GNU project turns 30
It was 30 years ago that Richard Stallman announced the GNU project. An initiative that started with a programmer's frustration over a broken printer driver has changed our society. The idea of software that everyone can use, study, share and improve has proven very powerful indeed.
Nationalratswahl 2013: Positionen der Parteien zu Freier Software und digitaler Gesellschaft
Am 29.09.2013 finden in Österreich die Nationalratswahlen statt. Zum Ende des Wahlkampfes veröffentlicht die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) die Positionen der Parteien zum Thema Freie Software und digitale Gesellschaft.
FSFE backs 13 principles against surveillance
A coalition of more than 265 organisations launched a list of 13 International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communication Surveillance. The groups officially presented the list of principles on Friday last week during the 24th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
On Software Freedom Day, support FSFE!
We need computers we can trust. The recent news about planet-wide surveillance make clear how important computer systems are for our society. Control of these computer systems needs to be in the hands of their users.
Landtagswahl Hessen: SPD und CDU enttäuschen, Grüne und Piraten punkten
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlicht heute ihre Freie-Software-Wahlprüfsteine zur Landtagswahl in Hessen am 22. September 2013. Mit den Fragen will die FSFE sehen, inwieweit sich die Landesverbände mit den Themen auseinandergesetzt haben. Trotz wiederholter Nachfrage und Bestätigung über den Eingang unserer Fragen hat die SPD nicht auf die Fragen geantwortet (siehe Update unten). Bei FDP und Die Linke fällt eine Bewertung schwer: Sie haben die Antworten ihrer Bundesverbände 1:1 übernommen, was zwar eine generelle Zustimmung zur Bundesebene zulässt, allerdings eine Bewertung über den Kenntnisstand im Landesverband erschwert. Enttäuschend ist die Antwort der CDU:
FSFE joins 100+ organisations in call to restrict surveillance
Privacy is a fundamental human right, and is central to maintaining democratic societies. FSFE joins more than 100 other organisations in demanding that states respect human rights, and bring their surveillance apparatus under democratic control. We have signed the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance. These principles are an important contribution to the discussion about how to provide security in a free society. More than one year in the making, they are now more relevant than ever.
Open Letter on Freedom and Internet Voting to Estonia's National Electoral Committee
FSFE has sent an open letter to Estonia's National Electoral Committee (NEC) regarding the country's Internet voting system. We ask the NEC to release the software used in the election process as Free Software.
FSFE objects to claims of 'predatory pricing' in Free Software
In a recent antitrust submission to the European Commission, a Microsoft-led coalition falsely claimed that the distribution of Free Software free of charge hurts competition. FSFE has written a letter to the European Commission's competition authorities to refute this claim, and make it clear that Free Software is critical for an open, competitive IT market.
FSFE supporting the Open Letter to stop surveillance
FSFE supports the Open Letter to stop surveillance. The letter calls for twelve political steps including the development and promotion of Free Software for digital self-defence. The letter was initiated by Digitale Gesellschaft and also signed by several organisations including CCC, Creative Commons Germany, the German journalist association, DigitalCourage, EFF, EDRI, Greenpeace Central/East Europe, Transparency International Germany, the German Consumer Protections, Wikimedia, and others.
Lettera Aperta sulla trasparenza al Presidente del Parlamento Europeo
La Free Software Foundation Europe e l'Open Rights Group hanno inviato una lettera aperta [pdf] al Presidente del Parlamento Europeo, Martin Schulz. A Schulz è stato richiesto [pdf] di elaborare uno studio sulla trasparenza all'interno del Parlamento.
New Snowden leak: Storing your data at Microsoft is negligent
In an article published today, The Guardian describes how Microsoft is actively cooperating with the NSA. According to the article, Microsoft is providing the NSA with broad access to the communications of anyone using the company's services:
Blog: be Free or be insecure: crowdfunded Hemlis must choose
Today Hemlis, a proposal for a new encrypted mobile messaging app, received $125,000 in crowdfunding. It’s wonderful to see ambitious new software projects get support from the community, but how open will it be?
German Parliament elections: The parties' positions on Free Software
Today, the Free Software Foundation Europe publishes its Free Software related election questions for this fall's elections to the German parliament, which will take place on September 22. All political parties have responded to the questions, which cover issues like users' control over their electronic devices, the release of publicly funded computer programs as Free Software, and software patents.
FSFE compliance workshop discovers GPL violation by FANTEC, Welte wins in court
The Regional Court of Hamburg [Landgericht Hamburg] found FANTEC GmbH guilty of violating the GNU General Public License in their media player FANTEC 3DFHDL. In the case between Harald Welte versus FANTEC GmbH the court decided that FANTEC has to pay a penalty fee plus additional costs for the lawyers, and has to give out the exact information about their chain of distribution of the FANTEC 3DFHDL Media Player.
EC tells public bodies to break free from lock-in
In a Communication published today, the European Commission urges public bodies to break free from vendor lock-in in their IT systems. The Commission wants public bodies to rely on standards rather than brand names and proprietary technology when they buy software.
Open Letter to Prime Minister Erdoğan
Days before the protests in Taksim Square erupted, President Erdoğan was in America. On behalf of an ambitious education investment project called FATIH, he toured Silicon Valley as the guest of America's largest technology companies, each of whom are hoping to land a contract for more than 10 million new tablet computers.
As Microsoft repeal some Xbox restrictions, more apply to other products
Faced with user protests, Microsoft has been forced to make the terms for its latest Xbox gaming console look a little less restrictive. However, the “new” terms which had caused such outrage were not in fact new at all: they were similar to most other proprietary software licences, including those covering other Microsoft software products and on-line services.
German Parliament tells government to strictly limit patents on software
On Friday the 7th of June the German Parliament decided upon a joint motion to limit software patents (see English translation by BIKT). The Parliament urges the German Government to take steps to limit the granting of patents on computer programs. Software should exclusively be covered by copyright, and the rights of the copyright holders should not be devalued by third parties' software patents. The only exception where patents should be allowed are computer programs which replace a mechanical or electromagnetic component. In addition the Parliament made clear that governmental actions related to patents must never interfere with the legality of distributing Free Software.
Filing taxes without non-free software: Slovak company appeals fines
In a case of a Slovak company protesting against being forced to use non-free software to file taxes, a court has failed to rule on the substance of the case.
FSFE supporting EFF's formal objection
As reported in the our last newsletter, W3C wants to implement usage controls on the web. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) now published a formal objection to the HTML working group draft charter. Free Software Foundation Europe fully supports EFF's objections.
FSFE in German Parliament Hearing about Software Patents
In April the German Parliament (the 'Bundestag') has introduced a joint motion against software patents. It urges the German government to take steps to limit the granting of patents on computer programs. After the first hearing in Parliament, Matthias Kirschner was invited for FSFE as external expert to the legal committee meeting on May 13th. FSFE published a written statement and we published the notes of our oral presentation. There will be a second meeting of a committee and afterwards on the 6th of June the Parliament will vote upon the motion.
Blog: About digital and physical restrictions on your own device
Today, May 3rd 2013, is the international day against Digital Restrictions Management (DRM). Usually, the term DRM refers to various restrictions that companies – or any other content provider – impose on digital media and data. These restrictions are there to let providers decide what you can do with your media and data and what not. This blog entry sheds light on a related issue: the loss of digital and physical control of your own device.
International Day Against DRM: fight deliberately crippled technology
This Friday, May 3rd 2013, FSFE is joining the 8th international "Day against DRM" campaign in the call to end Digital Restrictions Management (DRM). The fight against DRM has been gathering momentum in the past weeks. Freedom activists rallied against DRM in HTML5, stressing this technology's harmful effects on innovation and user's freedom. On today's Day Against DRM, our sister organisation the Free Software Foundation will deliver the petition signatures opposing DRM in HTML5 to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)in Boston.
Illegal procurement favouring Microsoft killed in Portuguese court
On April 27, the administrative court of Almada, Portugal, declared a 550, 000 Euro contract between Microsoft and the municipality of Almada to be illegal. The technical specifications of the competition launched by the municipality prevented any company other than Microsoft and their partners to submit a proposal.
Stop DRM in HTML5 - Sign the Petition!
Join us in calling on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and its member organisations to reject the Encrypted Media Extensions proposal (EME). This proposal aims at incorporating support for Digital Restriction Management (DRM) into HTML and would therefore exclude Free Software browsers from being compatible with many web pages.
FSFE welcomes Ceata as associate organisation
A group of Free Software activists from Romania and Moldova has joined FSFE's program of associate organisations. Active since 2008, Ceata incorporated as a foundation in February 2013. Fundația Ceata and FSFE will work together to promote software freedom in Romania and throughout Europe.
German Parliament says: Stop Granting Software Patents
The German Parliament, the Bundestag, has introduced a joint motion against software patents. The resolution urges the German government to take steps to limit the granting of patents on computer programs.
How to break free from Skype
On April 8, Microsoft will discontinue its Windows Messenger service. All current users will be switched to Skype. The Free Software Foundation Europe advises former users of Windows Messenger to take this as an opportunity to embrace Open Standards such as Jabber (XMPP) instead of switching to Skype.
taz.die tageszeitung receives Document Freedom Germany Award
The German newspaper taz.die tageszeitung (TAZ) receives this year's Document Freedom Day award. With this award, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) honour organisations that make exemplary use of Open Standards.
Document Freedom Day from Brussels to Taiwan: Open Standards celebrated in 30 countries
In 30 countries around the world, activists are celebrating Open Standards on today's Document Freedom Day, an annual campaign to promote Open Standards. More than 50 groups are hosting events around the world, from Brussels to Nicaragua to Nepal.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is…
…Heiki "Repentinus" Ojasild! The election period for this year's Fellowship GA seat has ended on March 15 and it was exciting until the end. Albert Dengg who also stood for the Fellowship GA seat promised to stay around and continue his great work for FSFE in their area.
EC hits Microsoft with EUR 561 million fine over web browsers
Last week, the European Commission slapped the company with a fine of more than 500 million EUR for breaching a settlement over the bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows. Karsten Gerloff, the president of the FSFE, is explaining position of the Free Software Foundation Europe.
Document Freedom Day: 2013 Event registration now open
Today event registration opens for Document Freedom Day 2013, March 27th. Local teams can add details of their activities to DocumentFreedom.org, and have them marked on the global campaign map.
#ILOVEFS campaign 2013
Every year on February 14th people celebrate love, relationship with others.. and for the third year running, the wonders of Free Software. All around the world people expressed their love during the "I love Free software" day. We would like to thank you for participating, and share some lovely quotes, dents, tweets, blog entries and articles that were done because of your dedication to Free Software. When developers will read your declarations, they will definitely find extra energy to carry on their good work.
Bundestagswahl: Was sollen Kandidatinnen und Parteien zu Freier Software gefragt werden?
Was sind die Positionen der Parteien zu Freier Software? Das will die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) dieses Jahr für die Bundestagswahl herausfinden. Wie bereits bei den letzten Landtagswahlen, wird die FSFE sogenannte Wahlprüfsteine zur Beantwortung an die Parteien schicken und diese auswerten.
FSFE asks to show your love for Free Software!
On February 14th Free Software Foundation Europe asks all Free Software users to show their appreciation for Free Software. FSFE suggests to take this day as an opportunity to say "thank you" to one of the dedicated hard-working people in the Free Software community.
Fellowship Interview with Anna Morris
Anna Morris is co-founder or FLOSSIE conference for women in Free Software, Manchester Fellowship Group Deputy Coordinator, and Co-Director of Ethical Pets Ltd. She is currently writing a book on video editing with Free Software, and volunteering with Document Freedom Day 2013 in her spare time.
45 organizzazioni inviano una diffida al Ministero dell'Educazione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
Un gruppo di 45 associazioni attive nel campo del Software Libero hanno firmato una diffida al ministro dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca. FSFE, AsSoLi, Wikimedia Italia, l'Associazione per l'Informazione Geografica Libera (GFoss.it), l'Italian Linux Society, LibreItalia ed altre 38 organizzazioni ritengono che il Ministero stiano discriminando il Software Libero.
FSFE 2012 Annual Report
Come and see what FSFE did in 2012! Read our annual report to find out what we achieved, how we did it, and what's ahead for 2013. We thank all of our Fellows, donors and sponsors for making our work possible! If you like what you see, please remember to sign up as a supporter, so we can keep you updated.
European Parliament adopts deeply flawed unitary patent, gives up power over innovation policy
Today, the European Parliament has adopted a proposal to create a patent with unitary effect for Europe. This decision will leave Europe with a patent system that is both deeply flawed and prone to overreach. It also ends democratic control of Europe's innovation policy. "We are disappointed that so many MEPs were prepared to throw Europe's researchers and innovators under the bus just to achieve a deal, any deal" says Karsten Gerloff, President of the Free Software Foundation Europe. "It is natural that after nearly four decades of discussions on a single patent system for Europe, most of those involved simply want the debate to end. But we would have expected more of our elected representatives."
First, do no harm: European Parliament must delay vote on unitary patent
The European Parliament is about to vote on a "unitary patent" for Europe in its plenary session on December 11. The proposal currently on the table is widely known to have serious legal and practical problems. In the light of these problems, Free Software Foundation Europe urges the Parliament's members to delay the vote until a better solution can be worked out.
7 days left for the PDF readers fundraising campaign, last chance to donate!
7 days until the fundraising is over! Once again, thanks to everyone who has donated and is helping us to reach our goal. Yet, we need a last "push": we have reached 82% so we need 188€ more. If you still have not donated, please do it!. With only a small contribution (the average donation amount is 23€) you will help us to achieve our goal.
PDFreaders recommended by government - and what else we achived
Two weeks have been gone since we launched the PDF Readers fundraising. First, we want to thank everyone who made a donation. Currently, we received 856 EUR (more than 75% of the goal). Thanks to your donation, and you informing your friends about this work, we will reach the 1100 EUR until the 4th of December.
FSFE welcomes German Government's White Paper on "Secure Boot"
Yesterday the German Ministry of the Interior published a white paper about "Trusted Computing" and "Secure Boot". The white paper says that "device owners must be in complete control of (able to manage and monitor) all the trusted computing security systems of their devices." This has been one of FSFE's key demands from the beginning. The document continues that "delegating this control to third parties requires conscious and informed consent by the device owner".
Nächste Woche Dienstag: Freiburg entscheidet über Aus von ODT
Am kommenden Dienstag entscheidet Freiburg darüber, ob sie in Zukunft statt dem Open Document Format Microsofts propritäres Format OOXML verwenden werden. Der nachfolgende offene Brief wurde soeben von der Open Source Business Alliance, der Free Software Foundation Europe dem Bundesverbands Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie, der Document Foundation und Freies Office Deutschland e.V. verschickt. Bereits im September hatten wir diesbezüglich die Bürgermeister und Mitglieder des Gemeinderats der Stadt Freiburg kontaktiert.
Finnish activist, Danish hacker share Nordic Free Software Award 2012
Finnish Free Software activist Otto Kekäläinen and Danish hacker Ole Tange are the recipients of the 2012 Nordic Free Software Award. With the Nordic Free Software award, given out for the 6th time this year, the Swedish Association for Free Software and Free Culture (FFKP, Föreningen Fri Kultur och Programvara) honours people and projects who have made important contributions to software freedom.
Liberare l'istruzione, crescere senza limiti
Il governo dei Paesi Bassi intende vincolare le scuole del paese alle scelte di unico produttore di software per gli anni a venire. Gli studenti olandesi che usano il Software Libero, o sistemi non dotati della piattaforma Silverlight, saranno tirati fuori dai sistemi online della loro scuola a causa dell'uso di tecnologia proprietaria e di standard chiusi. Marja Bijstervelt, il ministro dell'educazione, ha recentemente affermato di non volersi impegnare per l'applicazione della stesssa politica olandese per l'adozione degli Standard Aperti nelle scuole e università. Al contrario, il governo accetterà un lock-in di lunga durata per il settore dell'istruzione.
Flashing your device does not void your statutory warranty - FSFE Legal
One of the main concerns of Android users is related with its warranty: whether flashing their device will void the phone assurance.
Every buck fixes a bug. The FSFE PDF readers campaign website fundraising
What would you think if your government told you which brand of car to drive on public roads? The same way the public administration is required to be neutral on this, it should not decide which software you use when reading PDF documents. The state should offer choice and especially promote software that respects its citizens' freedom.
UK takes major step towards competition, innovation in software market
The UK government has released a new Open Standards policy. FSFE welcomes this document as a major step towards more competition and innovation in the UK software market
Fellowship Interview with Hugo Roy
This month we interviewed Hugo Roy, FSFE’s French Team coordinator and co-founder of the Digital Freedoms association. He joined FSFE in 2009 as an intern, assisting FSFE president Karsten Gerloff. In France, Hugo is also active with April and of French Data Network.
Moving our public administration towards trust, facts and confidence
Otto Kekäläinen, the Finnish FSFE country team coordinator, gave a talk in Berlin about the case regarding some of the major cities in Finland, which are considering using LibreOffice.
Internship opportunity at FSFE
Are you willing to do something to improve our society? Do you think that our society development relies on a fair and transparent digital sphere? Do you want to increase our society's freedom? FSFE has one internship position available, starting February 2013. We are looking for bright, motivated, innovative people who want to make a real difference towards a free information society. Apply.
Twenty-one organisations ask Italian Data Protection Authority to publish readable documents.
The Free Software Foundation Europe and twenty Italian civil society organisations wrote a letter to the President of the Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, asking the agency to ensure that all documents published on its website can be read and used with Free Software programs.
Gli attivisti del Software Libero chiedono all'Autorità Garante per la Protezione dei dati personali di pubblicare documenti leggibili.
La FSFE, insieme a venti organizzazioni italiane, ha scritto una lettera al Presidente dell'Autorità Garante per la protezione dei Dati Personali, Antonello Soro, per segnalare un problema di leggibilità di un documento presente sul sito dell'Autorità. Tale documento, gravato da particolari script che lo rendono illeggibile con Software Libero, obbliga il cittadino ad utilizzare uno specifico programma proprietario. Si tratta di un ostacolo alla libertà di scelta da parte degli utenti, e causa un grave episodio di distorsione del mercato.
La FSFE introduce i "Sostenitori". Due piccoli compiti per te.
Results: Free Software voice & video testing
Last weekend on Software Freedom Day the Manchester FSFE Fellowship group, assisted by additional participants in Britain and Germany, spent the afternoon testing Free Software alternatives to Skype.
Freiburg - hebelt geheimes Gutachten Gemeinderatsbeschluss aus?
Dieser offene Brief wurde soeben von der Open Source Business Alliance, der Free Software Foundation Europe und dem Bundesverbands Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie an die Bürgermeister und die Mitglieder des Gemeinderats der Stadt Freiburg sowie an den Leiter des Amtes für Bürgerservice und Informationsverarbeitung verschickt:
Unitary patent threatens innovation in Europe
Will lawsuits like Apple vs Samsung soon take place in Europe? The European Parliament is about to set the future course for Europe's patent system. On September 17th and 18th, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee will discuss a proposal for a EU-wide patent. From now until September 18th, FSFE will continuously provide updates and analysis on the unitary patent on our website.
Blog: How the European patent system works
Now that software patents are back on the table, it’s important to understand how the European patent system actually works. You need to know this in order to discuss the unitary patent and FSFE’s demands with the MEPs you call and ask for support. Patent policy belongs under legislative control. Our current political processes and institutions aren’t perfect, but they’re certainly better than the EPO’s secretive insider culture. Good patent policy needs transparency, accountability and participation. The current proposal for the unitary patent lacks all of these things.
Blog: Software patents in Europe: game on
Should Europe have software patents? The discussion is back in full force. After the European Parliament rejected patents on software in 2005, things went quiet for a while. Now the European Parliament is about to decide on setting up a single patent for Europe, known as the “unitary patent”. This is a chance to get rid of software patents. But if we don’t manage to achieve a real change in the current proposal, software patents will become even more entrenched in Europe. Get active, and let's get rid of software patents once and for all!
Blog: Like in the 90ies but with phones: First Free Your Android installation parties
This month some of us already started with Free Your Android installation parties. Here a report from the workshops, with some pictures of happy people who liberated their phones.
Für IFA-Besucher: Broschüre zur Digitalen Rechte-Minderung (DRM)
Würden Sie legal erworbene Filme gerne von einem Gerät auf das andere kopieren, eine Sicherungskopie ihrer DVDs machen oder ein E-Book an eine Freundin verleihen? Systeme zur Digitalen Rechte-Minderung beschränken Ihr Recht, all diese Dinge zu tun.
La FSFE vuole proteggere meglio le licenze di Software Libero dalla bancarotta
Quando le aziende o gli autori che rilasciano licenze di Software Libero fanno bancarotta, c'è un rischio che le licenze di Software Libero da loro rilasciate affrontino delle problematiche legali in alcune giurisdizioni. La FSFE sta cercando di impedire che ciò avvenga in Germania. L'Istituzione esperta in materia ifrOSS, assistita dalla FSFE, suggerisce al Ministro della Giustizia tedesco di includere una clausola specificatamente riferita al Software Libero nel Codice Fallimentare tedesco.
La FSFE illustra alla Regione Lazio l'importanza del Software Libero per le pubbliche amministrazioni.
Lo scorso 23 Maggio, il Consiglio Regionale del Lazio ha approvato una Legge Regionale dal titolo “Disposizioni in materia di riutilizzo delle informazioni e dei dati pubblici e iniziative connesse". Con un successivo regolamento di attuazione, verranno individuate le modalità e le regole tecniche per il riuso dei programmi informatici. Nel frattempo, abbiamo loro proposto un elenco di motivazioni per cui sia le istituzioni che la comunità trarrebbero vantaggio da una migrazione a sistemi basati su Software Libero.
City of Helsinki Wants To Keep Software Costs Secret
The IT department of the city of Helsinki claimed in a report to the city board that migrating to OpenOffice would cost is over 21 million euros. On 10th of April 2012, FSFE filed a Freedom of Information request, asking the city how it had arrived at a surprisingly high cost estimates for running OpenOffice (now LibreOffice) on the city's workstations. The city of Helsinki has now denied this request and has stated that it will not release any details about the calculations.
Internship opportunities at FSFE
FSFE has two internship positions available, starting August 2012. We are looking for bright, motivated people who want to make a real difference for a free information society. Whether your background is in politics, law, computer science or other fields, we welcome your application. If you want to spend between four and twelve exciting months working at the point where technology, society and politics meet, apply now.
La Corte Europea di Giustizia conferma una sanzione esemplare per la Microsoft
La Corte Europea di Giustizia ha ordinato alla Microsoft di pagare una multa esemplare per il sostanziale monopolio sui desktop, che le ha permesso di tenere la concorrenza fuori dal mercato dei server-workgroup. Quattro anni fa, la Commissione Europea colpì il gigante del software con una multa di 899 milioni di Euro per il suo comportamento anticoncorrenziale. Nella sentenza di oggi, la Corte Europea di Giustizia ha deciso che questa multa senza precedenti era sostanzialmente giusta.
Fellowship Interview with Bjarni Runar Einarsson
This month we interviewed Bjarni Runar Einarsson, the founder and lead developer of PageKite, an application which allows the publication of websites stored on personal computers and mobiles. He won the Nordic Free Software Award for his work in 2010.
FSFE to Advance Fair Public IT Procurements in Finland
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has started an initiative to advance fair public procurements in Finland. The initiative concentrates on IT related procurement notices that require brand instead of defining functionalities required by the procurer. To date FSFE has skimmed over 300 procurement notices, and of those taken into closer analysis, 14 have been found to clearly violate the Finnish procurement law. These violating notices explicitly asked for tenders of specific brands of software manufacturers or products and thus discriminate all other brands and manufacturers, effectively stopping free competition.
4 Steps to immunity from UK snooping laws
Last week's draft Communications Bill outlines how civil servants are again intent on surveilling the internet communications of innocent British citizens. Fortunately, Free Software provides several ways with which you can protect your privacy online, regardless of the measures that the Coalition may impose upon you or your telecoms providers.
June 9: Help deliver final blow to ACTA
On Saturday June 9, activists across Europe are taking to the streets to protest against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). They demand that the European Parliament should finally reject this controversial treaty, which would greatly harm citizens' rights. The Parliament will hold a plenary vote on ACTA in July.
Analysis - "Secure Boot": Who will control your next computer?
FSFE's goal is to ensure that the owners of IT devices are always in full and sole control of them. This fundamental principle is recently being challenged by "Secure Boot". For maintaining sustained growth in the development and use of software, the broad availability of general purpose computers is crucial. Today FSFE's published an analysis on the topic.
FSFE responds to UK Open Standards Consultation
FSFE has submitted its response [pdf] to a public consultation by the UK Government, concerning a definition of Open Standards and a policy for increasing their use in the UK's public sector. If the policy is applied boldly and proactively, the UK stands to greatly gain from increased competition in the software market, with much greater opportunities for small companies. On the other hand, even minor lapses in implementation could derail the policy entirely.
FSFE responds to UK Open Standards Consultation
FSFE has submitted its response [Update: see as PDF version or HTML version] to a public consultation by the UK Government, concerning a definition of Open Standards and a policy for increasing their use in the UK's public sector. If the policy is applied boldly and proactively, the UK stands to greatly gain from increased competition in the software market, with much greater opportunities for small companies. On the other hand, even minor lapses in implementation could derail the policy entirely.
FSFE: NW UK businesses please tell Government that Open Standards matter
Is the Government one of your potential customers? Free Software may shortly be locked out of opportunities in the public sector if proposed Open Standards policy is adopted.
Democracy deserves better than electronic voting
This week 1.1 million French voters living outside of France have the opportunity to cast a vote for their eleven members of Parliament via the internet. Voting will be made through a web application which requires the use of non-free software¹, according to citizens using Free software.
Fellowship Interview with Giacomo Poderi
Giacomo Poderi has worked as a translator and editor for FSFE, as well as completing a master’s degree in Philosophy. Currently he’s working on a Ph.D in sociology, which looks at the user experience in Free Software Projects, focusing on the turn-based strategy game ‘The Battle for Wesnoth’.
State neglected web standards, company now faces EUR 5600 in fines
In Slovakia, a law introduced to reduce red tape has led to injustice. The state has mandated electronic means as a only way of fulfilling certain statutory obligations. However the dedicated web solution excludes some citizens from use as it is not interoperable and runs only on the software from one vendor. In absence of any non-electronic option, this means that state, in fact, prescribed the use of a certain product from a certain vendor. Who did not own the copy, had to buy one. Slovak textile importer deemed that state should not force him to use a certain software for his business and fulfilled its legal obligation by paper. Now the company faces EUR 5600 in fines.
Executive summary of the EURA case
Slovak textile importer EURA Slovakia, s.r.o. is 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. This is also how we could briefly summarize the decision of Slovak tax administration from a few weeks ago. The administration imposed several fines on a company, EURA Slovakia, which submitted its tax reports on paper, because the use of electronic form was impossible as the state's web application worked only on the Microsoft Windows operating system. The company now plans to appeal to the court and to demand that the state stops forcing businesses to use a certain product, instead of requiring that the public administration uses a multi-platform technical solution based on Open Standards that is available for everybody.
Nordrhein-Westfalen: Softwarepatente - Nein! Offene Standards - Ja!
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlichte heute ihre Freie-Software-Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum Landtag Nordrhein-Westfalens am 13. Mai 2012. Alle hier aufgeführten Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zu Fragen über die Umsetzung Offener Standards, den Einsatz Freier Software in der Bildung, Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung, Probleme der Herstellerabhängigkeit, Kontrolle über mobile Endgeräte, Softwarepatente und die generelle Förderung Freier Software.
Schleswig-Holstein - Positive Signale für die Entwicklung und Förderung Freier Software
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlicht heute ihre Freie-Software-Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum Landtag Schleswig-Holsteins am 6. Mai 2012. Alle hier aufgeführten Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zu Fragen über die generelle Förderung von Freier Software, dem Problem der Herstellerabhängigkeit bei unfreier Software, Offene Standards, dem Einsatz von Freier Software in der Bildung, Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung sowie zu Softwarepatenten.
Web Sprint report: where social and technical come together
April 21st and 22nd's Web Sprint in Manchester has been both an opportunity to provide improvements for FSFE's web site, and a good occasion to meet (new) people, get together and have a chat.
UK Open Standards experts publish joint statement on Government consultation
At a meeting yesterday, hosted by the British Computer Society's Open Source Specialists Group, We the Undersigned called upon the Government to do the following:
Summit Meeting of experts calls upon UK Government to deliver on Open Standards
The Free Software Foundation Europe held a summit meeting on Monday of Free Software and Open Standards experts.
Fellowship Interview with Bernd Wurst
Bern Wurst is a Free Software professional, volunteering for the Freedroidz project. He describes us his engagement with Free Software, and its importance for education.
Blog: FSFE participates in UK ICT curriculum consultation
FSFE’s education team has submitted their official position on the UK Department of Education proposal to disapply the National Curriculum Programme for Information and Communication Technology.
Il vendor lock-in costa a Helsinki 3,4 milioni di Euro all'anno?
Una relazione sul progetto pilota del Comune di Helsinki per l'utilizzo di OpenOffice nelle pubbliche amministrazioni lascia i lettori con più domande che risposte. Il Comune ha sperimentato la suite di produttività libera sui computer portatili dei membri del Consiglio per dieci mesi nel corso del 2011. La suite ha goduto di giudizi positivi da parte dei sui utenti. Quando il progetto pilota si è concluso, il Comune ha presentato una relazione, affermando che i costi di migrazione dell'intera amministrazione a OpenOffice sarebbero stati molto elevati.
Executive summary and analysis of the Helsinki City and OpenOffice case in 2010-2011
Report del Document Freedom Day 2012
Il Document Freedom Day è stato un successo! America, Asia, Africa ed Europa hanno festeggiato insieme gli Standard Aperti grazie a 54 eventi. Non ci sono dubbi che il DFD stia crescendo, e crediamo che l'anno prossimo sarà un successo ancora più grande. Vuoi avere un quadro preciso di ciò che è successo il 28 Marzo? E cosa c'entri il Papa con gli Standard Aperti? Leggi il nostro dettagliato rapporto per saperne di più!
Hacking for freedom: Web Team comes to Manchester
Manchester will be hacking for freedom this month when FSFE's Web Team sprint comes to the UK. Web team coordinators, together with a variety of international volunteers, will gather in a concerted effort to improve website features and infrastructure.
Document Freedom Award for Slovak Commission for Standardization
The Free Software Foundation Europe awarded the Slovak Commission for Standardization of the Public Administration Information Systems and its working groups with the Document Freedom Award this week. The Commission was awarded for its long standing commitment and achieved results in the field of the Open Standards. The prize was presented on the occasion of Document Freedom Day, the international day of Open Standards.
Fellows unite UK environmentalists through "Green Bridge"
Environmentalists will be joined together by Free Software on March 31st when Manchester's "Big Green Festival" and Leicester's "Green Light Festival" are bridged by Free Software for participants to share thoughts and pictures between locations in real-time.
1&1 Internet AG receives German Document Freedom Award
Karlsruhe, 28 March 2012 - 1&1, GMX and WEB.DE receive the German Document Freedom Award for the use of Open Standards. The prize is awarded by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure e.V. (FFII). 1&1 is awarded for automatically adding XMPP for all customers of their mail services. The Document Freedom Award is awarded annually on the occasion of Document Freedom Day - the international day for Open Standards. Last years winners include tagesschau.de, Deutschland Radio, and the German Foreign Office.
Document Freedom Day 2012: Attivisti da tutto il mondo celebrano gli Standard Aperti
Attivisti del Software Libero di tutto il mondo celebrano oggi l'accessibilità dell'informazione e gli Standard Aperti. Attraverso dimostrazioni, talk e workshop, 48 eventi in 17 paesi illustrano come gli Standard Aperti e il Software Libero siano fondamentali per una società dell'informazione libera e concorrenzale.
Handcuff an MP, the easy way
British politicians need your help to understand Open Standards. Donate an information pack explaining their responsibility to use Free and accessible standards, and demonstrate the threat of vendor lock-in with the included pair of handcuffs.
Article: Commandment for minimalistic formats - Being an Open Standard is not enough
With Document Freedom Day coming up on Wednesday, we're publishing an article by FSFE co-founder Bernhard Reiter. He discusses what makes a good data format, and argues that Open Standards are good, but that we need to push further still. His central question to data formats is "Can we make it simpler?"
Fellowship Interview with Guido Günther
Guido Günther is a Debian and GNOME contributor who added MIPS support to Debian, and worked for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He discusses why Free Software was a good fit for the needs of embassies and consulates, and what drew him to take on big technical challenges in Debian.
FSFE Fellow interviewed by BBC
Manchester Fellow Anna Morris was interviewed on BBC Radio this week, about women in Free Software, what Free Software is, and her involvement with FSFE.
DFD 2012 Events
This year's DFD is approaching fast, and we can already say that we will have had a good year: More than 30 events have been registered in South-America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. However, both we and you could do a lot better, and there is still time to register and organise an event. North-America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia desperately need more events. Also, while Central Europe is well covered, Europe's western, eastern, and northern parts could do with additional events. To organise an event, you can gather ideas from the highlighted events below, or take a look at our events page.
Saarland - Nur wenige deutliche Aussagen zu Freier Software
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlicht heute ihre Freien-Software-Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum Landtag des Saarlandes am 25. März. Die Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zu Fragen über die generelle Förderung von Freier Software, dem Problem der Herstellerabhängigkeit bei unfreier Software, Offenen Standards, dem Einsatz von Freier Software in der Bildung, Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung sowie zu Softwarepatenten.
Manette - DFD
Conosci un politico che dovrebbe venire a conoscenza degli Standard Aperti? Hai provato a spiegare l'importanza degli Standard aperti al tuo capo, ai tuoi amici, all'amministrazione locale o ai servizi pubblici, ma non hai avuto nessun risultato? Un sostegno esterno sarebbe d'aiuto? Assolutamente! Informa il team del Document Freedom Day circa la tua situazione, ed invieremo un interessante regalo al tuo indirizzo per aiutarti a comprendere meglio la forza degli Standard Aperti.
Il vincitore dell'elezione per il rappresentante della Fellowship presso l'Assemblea Generale è…
…Nikos Roussos! Il periodo utile per l'elezione del rappresentante della Fellowship presso l'Assemblea Generale si è concluso il 29 Febbraio, ed è stato emozionante fino alla fine. Albert Dengg e Gert Seidl, che hanno anch'essi concorso per il ruolo di Rappresentante della Fellowship presso l'Assemblea Generale hanno promesso di restare attivi, continuando il loro improtante lavoro per la FSFE in questa area. "Sono davvero lieto di essere stato eletto. Cercherò di aiutare la causa della FSFEin ogni modo possibile" sostiene Nikos dopo la sua vittoria all'elezione.
La FSFE lancia una campagna per un sistema Android libero
Gli Smart phone sono problematici per quanto riguarda la privacy. Si tratta di una delle ragioni per cui la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ha deciso oggi di lanciare la campagna "Libera il tuo Android!"
Thank you for celebrating #ilovefs the whole day without borders
On February 14th, people around the globe were celebrating the "I love Free Software" day. To all of you, thank you very much for participating in our #ilovefs-campaign and for showing your support for Free Software on this day. We were really excited about your creativity and participiation. All these love declarations went out to the developers, users and wizards behind Free Software and their communities. While some of you dedicated their love to specific programs that you enjoy most. We are pretty sure that their developers and users have read your love declarations and that your love will motivate them to carry on their good work. Here are just a few examples and highlights of your love declarations.
Nortel/Rockstar, Google/Motorola deals create balance of terror on software patents
On Monday, the US Department of Justice approved the sale of Nortel's patent portfolio to a consortium led by Apple and Microsoft. At the same time, the DOJ and the European Commission allowed Google to buy Motorola Mobility, thus giving the search company a sizable patent portfolio.
Join the protest against ACTA
ACTA, a multi-national treaty to enforce copyright and patents, is threatening Free Software and freedom in the information society. It endangers people's access to essential medicines. The treaty creates a culture of surveillance and suspicion, and the way in which it was negotiated is a mockery of proper democratic process.
FSFE's goal for February 14th: More love reports than bug reports!
"Let's be honest: In the Free Software community, we exchange a lot of criticism. We write bug reports, tell others how they can improve the software, ask them for new features, and generally are not shy about criticising others. Sometimes we forget to say "thank you, for all your work". As in the last years, we want to change this, at least for one day. So on Tuesday the 14th of February we will celebrate the "I love Free Software" - Day , says Matthias Kirschner, FSFE's #ilovefs campaign manager.
FSFE awarded Mozilla grant
Free Software Foundation Europe has been awarded a grant from Mozilla. As announced during this weekend's FOSDEM conference in Brussels, FSFE will receive EUR 25,000 to support its work for freedom in the information society.
"I love Free Software"-Tag am 14. Februar im Unperfekthaus, Essen
Die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ruft jährlich alle Unterstützer Freier Software auf, beim "I love Free Software"-Tag mitzumachen. Dazu gibt es eine Mitmach-Kampagne, zu der ihr Material und Ideen auf ilovefs.org finden könnt. Dieses Jahr wird es außerdem erstmalig eine "I love Free Software"-Veranstaltung[2] "I love Free Software"-Veranstaltung im Unperfekthaus in der Innenstadt Essens geben.
Legal news: Photograph copyright case could have effects on software developers
Read about copyright originality in the EU, publication of Library License, European Commissions proposal to reform the old data protection rules, iPad litigations and more.
Fellows: Elect your GA representative in February
During the whole of February 2012, FSFE's Fellows will be able to elect their representative in FSFE's General Assembly. The winner of the election will help FSFE's strategic decision making body plan the future of the organisation, and will join Hugo Roy who occupies the other Fellowship seat since 2011. Both Fellowship representatives are full members of the General Assembly for a term of two years, and have all the rights and obligations of other members.
Call for Street Art Artists
On 28th of March 2012, we will be running a campaign for document liberation - Document Freedom Day 2012. On this occasion, we would like to ask you for help in promoting its underlying idea by means of your art.
Blog: Short introduction to the second Mozilla Public License (MPL 2.0)
A short post in French on the Mozilla Public License 2.0. If you want to know about it, you can read in English Luis Villa, who led the update process. Richard Fontana wrote an article (RedHat); and the FSF has lauded the compatibility with GNU licenses.)
Legal news: antitrust concerns over UEFI and Apple's iBook
Read about launch of cloud computing interoperability intitiative, US Supreme Court decision on copyright extension, plan of Spanish region to use 40.000 Linux based desktops, patent inflation and more.
Fellowship Interview with Heiki Ojasild
For our January fellowship interview we met Heiki Ojasild. He joined the Free Software Foundation Europe in 2011, undertaking the task of translating fsfe.org into Estonian, his mother tongue. He is currently developing an XChat add-on, as well as a website for free SVG and JavaScript games. In 2010 he took part in the Baltic Olympiad in Informatics. In this interview, he explains us his views about copyright, Digital Restrictions Management, kopimism, and activism.
Save the date: "I love Free Software" - Day on 14th February
The Free Software Foundation Europe plans to celebrate Valentine's Day on 14th February as an "I love Free Software" - Day. Please help us in showing your support for Free Software by participating in our online campaign. Emails, blogs, microblogs, donations, everything is welcome! There are free banners to use for your website available, too. In addition, this year will also be an event to celebrate Free Software in the Unperfekthaus in Essen. We would love to see you there!
Free Software legal news
Read about European concerns with SOPA, dangers of Secure Boot, Nokia's move to sell 450 patents to a patent troll, summary of Free Software developments in 2011, web blocking in Germany and many more.
FSFE calls on US Senate to stop SOPA / PIPA
Together with dozens of other civil society organisations, FSFE has signed a letter to US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, urging the Senate to stand up for human rights, defend freedom of speech and the open internet, and reject the SOPA and PIPA proposals currently before it.
Blog: Is teaching programming political?
In a reply to the BBC about proposed changes to the national curriculum, Sam Tuke explains some of the ways in which teaching Free Software programming skills in schools is important to the future of Britain.
FSFE calls for an amendment of Slovak Copyright Act
FSFE calls for an amendment that would eventually enable Free Software and Creative Commons licenses for Slovak citizens. Currently, these licenses are considered to be void due to lack of their written form and problems with formation of the contract. Slovakia is thus one of a few countries where these popular licensing tools still struggle with rigid legislative framework.
FSFE calls for nominations for the Document Freedom Award
This year for the fourth time, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) will assign the Document Freedom Award on the 28th of March 2012. With the Document Freedom Award, the FSFE and the FFII like to honor institutes or enterprises that made an outstanding contribution for the spread and the use of Open Standards. The Document Freedom Award is granted each year during the Document Freedom Day, the international day to celebrate the importance of Open Standards
Free Software legal news
Read about the release of Mozilla Publice License 2.0, new litigation of Microsoft against a computer retailer who is providing recovery CDs, UK government´s shift from Open Stadards and more.
Fellowship Interview with Paul Boddie
Paul Boddie is a developer in the bioinformatics domain. In this interview, he explains his conception of Free Software, which has a lot to do with sustainable computing and with the ability to use, maintain and develop solutions indefinitely.
Free Software legal news
Read about ground-breaking decision of the Court of Justice of EU, abuse of copyright against an Android developer, AG's opinion in awaited European interoperability ruling and much more.
Free Software legal news
Read about ground-breaking decision of the Court of Justice of EU, AG's opinion in awaited European interoperability ruling, two software patent cases and much more.
Helsinki city officials highly satisfied with Free Software
City officials in Helsinki, Finland, are overwhelmingly satisfied after trying out the Free Software office suite OpenOffice.org on their laptops. 75% of 600 officials have been using OpenOffice.org exclusively since February, as part of a pilot project where the city installed the program on 22,500 workstations.
Read about our work in 2011
This was an exciting year for Free Software, and for FSFE. We fought against software patents and the way they restrict Free Software and competition. We helped to defend the GPL against those who would take away our freedom to study and modify the software on our computers, and worked on many other important issues.
Free Software legal news
Read about ground-breaking decision of the Court of Justice of EU, abuse of copyright against an Android developer, AG's opinion in awaited European interoperability ruling and much more.
Nortel patent sale: FSFE defends Free Software, competition
Competition authorities in the US and Europe are currently investigating the sale of 6000 patents from Nortel, a bankrupt telecommunications equipment manufacturer, to a consortium of Apple, Microsoft and four other companies.
FSFE provides input to EU's 80 billion EUR R and D funding program
The European Commission has adopted a set of proposals for its next framework program. Called Horizon 2020, this program will provide 80 billion EUR for research and development projects from 2014 to 2020. Prior to finalisation of the proposal, FSFE had provided input to the Commission in order to make the program accessible for Free Software research and projects. Our input also aims at making the results of publicly funded research available as widely as possible.
Verdict in the case of AVM vs. Cybits confirmed the view of FSFE
In the dispute between the companies AVM and Cybits the written reasoning for the decision of the Regional Court of Berlin (PDF, German) is now available. The court confirmed FSFE's view that users of GNU GPLed software are allowed to modify and install it even if it is shipped as a part of an embedded device's firmware.
FSFE provides input to EC on 80bn EUR R and D funding program
Web Search By The People, For The People: YaCy 1.0
Il progetto YaCy ha rilasciato la versione 1.0 del suo motore di ricerca peer-to-peer, un software libero che ha un approccio radicalmente nuovo alla ricerca. YaCy non usa un server centrale: i risultati delle ricerche vengono invece da una rete di oltre 600 peer indipendenti.
Fellowship Interview with Mirko Boehm
Mirko Boehm currently works as a researcher at the Technical University of Berlin, focusing on the subject of Free Software and copyright and patents. For a long time he has been involved with KDE. In our November Internship Interview he talks about interactions between Free Software communities and “corporate” world, and the role of Free Software at universities and in education.
7 civil society groups ask for transparency on ACTA
The controversial ACTA treaty will be discussed tomorrow in the a closed meeting of the European Parliament's committee on international trade (INTA). Together with six other civil society organisations, FSFE has urged the Parliament to make the committee session public, so that European citizens can form their own opinions on ACTA.
Free Software Legal News
The patent litigation between Microsoft and Barnes & Nobles is taking a new turn, with the revelation of Microsoft's patent strategies against Android: FUD, invalid patents, etc. according to Barnes & Nobles. Also, new questions arise on exact scope of the copyrightability of software, with the litigation between Oracle and Google, again on Android, exploring new issues on linking, user-space and APIs specifications.
Swedish activist receives Nordic Free Software Award 2011
Erik Josefsson is the winner of the Nordic Free Software Award 2011. With the award, the Swedish Foundation for Free Culture and Free Software (FFKP) honours Josefsson for his achievements as a campaigner for freedom in the information society.
Court rejects AVM´s claims opposing third party modifications of GPL software
On November 8th the Regional Court of Berlin [Landgericht Berlin] issued its decision in the previously reported case AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH (AVM) v. Cybits AG (Cybits). In this case, AVM was essentially trying to stop Cybits from modifying GNU GPL licensed Free Software inside of their AVM Fritz!Box products. Yesterday, the court dismissed this principal claim. Thus, it also confirmed that users of embedded devices with pre-installed Free Software have the legal freedom to make, install, run and distribute modifications to this Free Software. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and gpl-violations.org, both welcome this decision.
Song Wettbewerb zum "Ich ♥ Freie Software"-Tag
Zusammen mit Jamendo suchen wir drei Bands, die zum "Ich ♥ Freie Software"-Tag am Dienstag, 14. Februar 2012 zwischen 19 Uhr und 22 Uhr im Unperfekthaus in Essen ein Live-Konzert geben.
Fellowship Interview with Rikard Fröberg
Rikard Fröberg works at the The Society for Free Culture and Software, and contributes this year to the FSCONS organisation for the third time. In the October Internship Interview he considers the importance of having an active and engaged community of users, which, thanks to events like FSCONS, have the opportunity of direct interaction.
Blog: Facebook updates - time to switch to a decentralised social network?
Last week Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the Next Big Thing (TM) for Facebook: OpenGraph. Facebook intends to act as its own private Internet, but fortunately there are lots of projects out there that will do the same things that Facebook does, and much more.
Fellowship Interview with Stefan Kangas
Stefan Kangas is the President of the recently started Fripost, the Free Email Association, which proposes itself to deliver a free and reliable Email service. This service, which is running since February, represents an alternative to proprietary Email providing services, which may limit user's freedom and privacy.
Freie Software in den schweizer National- und Ständeratswahlen
Im Rahmen der am 23. Oktober 2011 stattfindenden National- und Ständeratswahlen in der Schweiz hat die Zürcher Fellowshipgruppe der FSFE eine Politikerbefragung zu Freie Software durchgeführt.
Berlin - Hauptstadt der Freien-Software-Parteien: Ja zu Offenen Standards. Nein zu Softwarepatenten.
Die Free Software Foundation Europe veröffentlicht heute ihre Freien-Software-Wahlprüfsteine für die Wahl zum Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin am 18. September. Die Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zu Fragen über die generelle Förderung von Freier Software, dem Problem der Herstellerabhängigkeit bei unfreier Software, Offenen Standards, dem Einsatz von Freier Software in der Bildung, Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung sowie zu Softwarepatenten.
Blog: FSFE at the DIY Feminist Festival in Manchester
Pictures from the FSFE talks at the Manchester DIY Feminist Festival.
Fellowship Interview with Richard Shipman
Richard Shipman, Teaching Fellow at the Computer Science department of Aberystwyth University, talks about the importance of promoting Free Software alongside alternatives at school level, and what role the computer sciences can play in relating the messages of Free Software to other institutions and disciplines.
Blog: UK PDF Readers Sprint
On Saturday 13th August Free Software activists came to FSFE’s PDF Readers Sprint in Manchester and found 59 previously unreported adverts for proprietary PDF readers, all of them on UK Council websites.
Blog: FSFE at OggCamp 2011
OggCamp 2011 attracted 200-300 people, and the FSFE booth was successfully run by myself and Chris Woolfrey. We talked to approximately 60 people, handed out approximately 120 leaflets, received one donation, and sold five t-shirts. FSFE was generally well received and I felt that the booth was a great success.
FSFE UK calls for removal of Government's software advertisements
This weekend Free Software activists will find and report web advertising for proprietary software that is being funded by the British Government. Activists will meet on Saturday at Manchester's 'MadLab' Hackerspace to hunt for new adverts and contact government departments requesting that they be removed.
Blog: What's Needed for Freedom in the "cloud"?
What constitutes a socially acceptable and sustainable approach to "Cloud Computing" and "Software as a Service"? Georg Greve examines seven categories of requirements of cloud based systems which are truly Free.
Blog: Summary of Free Software CAD
Computer Aided Design software is critically important to a variety of industries and professions. It's also notorious for being poorly catered for by Free Software applications. Here's a brief summary of the current situation.
Fellowship Interview with Bernhard Reiter
Bernhard Reiter, co-founder of FSFE, talks about funding Free Software development and advocacy, the need for salaried campaigners, and the evolution of FSFE from its humble origins.
FSFE welcomes new Vice President, Legal Coordinator
At FSFE's General Assembly which took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on June 11, FSFE's members elected Henrik Sandklef as the organisation's Vice President. A computer scientist and GNU Hacker from Gothenburg, Sweden, Henrik has been active with FSFE since 2005. He takes over from Fernanda Weiden, who held the volunteer position for the past two years.
Fellowship Interview with Guido Arnold
The Deputy Coordinator of FSFE’s Education Team provides an insight into the team's latest efforts at increasing the use of Free Software in education.
FSFE on AVM vs Cybits: A small computer is still a computer
Yesterday in Berlin a court hearing took place in a case that could set a crucial precedent for the embedded industry (see also "AVM violating license of the Linux kernel"). In the lawsuit between AVM and Cybits, AVM maintained that others should not be allowed to modify Free Software on computers bought from AVM, such as the widely used Fritz!Box. At the heart of the debate is the Linux kernel, distributed under the GNU GPL which guarantees exactly this freedom to users. Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and gpl-violations.org today published a detailed report about the hearing.
AVM viola la licenza del kernel Linux
Berlino, 20 Giugno - Domani 21 Giugno presso la Corte Distrettuale di Berlino si svolgerà la prima udienza di una causa legale che potrebbe avere enormi conseguenze globali sul modo in cui il software viene sviluppato e distribuito. Gli avversari nella causa sono AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH (AVM), produttore e distributore di router DSL, e Cybits AG (Cybits), produttore di software di filtro dei contenuti per la tutela dei bambini. Entrambe le aziende usano il kernel Linux, che è distribuito con licenza GNU GPL versione 2, una licenza di Software Libero che permette a chiunque di usare, studiare, condividere e migliorare il software.
FSFE celebrates World IPv6 Day
On today's World IPv6 Day, FSFE is pleased to announce that almost all of its servers are now reachable via IPv6.
FSFE in Samba case: Microsoft's defiance backfired
Luxembourg, May 25 - FSFE played a key role at a Microsoft hearing before the European Union's General Court on Tuesday, helping explain the intricacies of Free Software servers.
Fellowship Interview with Florian Effenberger
Florian discusses the past present and future of LibreOffice and The Document Foundation, and his views on the importance of Free Software marketing.
Microsoft case: FSFE in European Court of Justice hearing
Fresh action in the European Commission's antitrust proceedings against Microsoft: On May 24, the European Court of Justice conducts a hearing on Microsoft's appeal against the fine. FSFE has participated in the case for a decade and will intervene on the Commission's behalf.
Befragung zu Freier Software in Bremen: Parteien zeigen seltsames Wettbewerbsverständnis
Nach den Befragungen in anderen Bundesländern, veröffentlichte heute die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) die Ergebnisse ihrer Parteienumfrage zu Freier Software für die Bürgerschaftswahl in Bremen.
Contribute to list of Free Software options for UK government
We need your help to write a paper with details of recommended Free Software applications for use in the UK public sector. Please contribute your knowledge by joining us on Etherpad.
German Government: Lack of knowledge or deliberately offending Free Software?
In the case of the Foreign Office turning away from Free Software, the German Government is entangling itself in contradictions. The reaction of the Government to an inquiry by "Bündnis 90/Grüne" has led to more pending questions than answers.
Please use Open Standards for your newspaper's educational resources
FSFE's UK Team asks The Guardian Newspaper to adhere to Open Standards when publishing digital resources for teachers.
Open letter to British Telecom: please include freedom in your new music service
As British Telecom plans to roll out their new music subscription service to its 5.5 million broadband customers, FSFE asks them to make user freedom one of the product's key features.
FSFE provides input to EC on collective redress
On Friday, Free Software Foundation Europe asked the European Commission to create a legal avenue for citizens seeking collective redress against companies. In its contribution to a public consultation by the Commision, FSFE argues that consumers should be able to join forces in order to defend their rights against harmful business practices.
Fellowship Interview with Michiel de Jong
Michiel explains how the Unhosted project could change the face of Free Software web applications, and solve problems of privacy, scalability and affordability for all kinds of software provided as a service.
Free Software crucial to competition, regulators in Novell patent deal say
Competition authorities in Germany and the United States today highlighted the fundamental role that Free Software plays for competition in the software market. After several months of discussions, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the German Federal Competition Office (FCO) have allowed a consortium of Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and EMC to acquire 882 patents from Novell only subject to conditions clearly intended to prevent their use against Free Software players.
Missione possibile: la FSFE ha bisogno del tuo aiuto per fare progressi con la campagna PDFreaders!
La FSFE chiama i sostenitori del Software Libero a partecipare alla campagna PDFreaders in corso per ricordare alle istituzioni pubbliche di rimuovere la pubblicità a lettori PDF proprietari dai loro siti web.
FSFE responds to EC consultation on procurement
Free Software Foundation Europe has provided the European Commission with input on modernising the way in which public bodies buy software and related services.
Novell's patent sale: FSFE's input to competition authorities
On April 6, FSFE provided the German competition authorities with its views on the sale of Novell's patents to CPTN, a joint venture of Microsoft, Apple, EMC and Oracle. According to the German authorities, the terms of the sale have been slightly modified since we registered our concerns with them on December 22, 2010. Despite these modifications, the transfer of a substantial number of patents to firms with a history of using them against Free Software remains a worrying prospect. Both documents are available on our overview page for the case.
FSFE begrüßt kleine Anfrage der Grünen zur Rückmigration im Auswärtigen Amt
Berlin, 15. April. Die Free Software Foundation Europe begrüßt die kleine Anfrage der Fraktion Bündnis 90/Die Grünen zur Rückmigration des Auswärtigen Amts auf Microsoft Windows XP.
Cutting-edge development: the Analogue Printer
Today FSFE announced a new cutting-edge development: the Analogue Printer.
Tagesschau.de awarded for the use of Open Standards
Today the ARD internet platform Tagesschau.de will receive an award for the use of Open Standards at the "Document Freedom Day". The prize is awarded by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure e.V. (FFII) for offering the broadcasted shows also in the free video format "Ogg Theora".
City of Munich receives European Document Freedom Day Prize
At Document Freedom Day on 30 March 2011, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) awarded the German City of Munich the Document Freedom Day Prize.
Document Freedom Day celebrated around the world
Today, activists in 37 cities around the world are raising awareness for Open Standards and open document formats. In workshops, talks and other events, they are explaining why Open Standards and Free Software are crucial to a free and competitive information society.
A bright Document Freedom Day for Britain?
As companies and communities come together to raise awareness of Open Standards for the forth consecutive Document Freedom Day, the issue of freedom from restricted digital files is more relevant in the UK than ever.
Mapping the changing landscape of Free Software in the British Public Sector
As Britain reverses its traditional role and moves to the fore of European public sector Free Software policy, FSFE explains the most important recent developments.
"Computer sind Teufelszeug" - Antworten auf Wahlprüfsteine zu Freier Software
Heute veröffentlichte die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) die Ergebnisse ihrer Parteienumfrage zu Freier Software für die Landtagswahlen in Baden-Württemberg und Rheinland-Pfalz. Die Parteien konnten Stellung nehmen zu Fragen über die generelle Förderung von Freier Software, dem Problem der Herstellerabhängigkeit bei unfreier Software, Offenen Standards, dem Einsatz von Freier Software in der Bildung, Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung sowie zu Softwarepatenten.
Fellowship Interview with Dan Leinir
In this interview, Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen from KO GmbH describes the aims of the GamingFreedom.org project, as well as what Free Software could mean for gaming in future.
FSFE accoglie favorevolmente l'azione di classe di ADUC contro Microsoft
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) accoglie favorevolmente l'iniziativa a favore della libertà degli utenti intrapresa dell'Associazione per i Diritti degli Utenti e Consumatori (ADUC). Il 24 gennaio 2011, ADUC ha depositato un atto di citazione contro Microsoft richiedendo alla compagnia di rimborsare i consumatori che restituiscono le licenze per il sistema operativo Microsoft Windows preinstallato sui computer appena acquistati e non utilizzate.
Landtagswahl Sachsen-Anhalt: Position der Parteien zu Freier Software
Anlässlich der Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt hat die Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) die Freien-Software-Positionen der Parteien erfragt. Die bisherigen Antworten der CDU, der Grünen, der Linken und der Piraten sind nun veröffentlicht. Die Wahlprüfsteine beinhalten Fragen zur generellen Förderung von Freier Software; dem Problem der Herstellerabhängigkeit bei unfreier Software; Offenen Standards; Freie Software in der Bildung; Werbung für unfreie Software auf Webseiten der öffentlichen Verwaltung sowie zu Software-Patenten.
Un decennio di Libertà: FSFE compie 10 anni
La Free Software Foundation Europe compie 10 anni in Marzo. La FSFE è stata fondata nel 2001 come "un'organizzazione dedicata alle attività del Software Libero in Europa" e "organizzazione ufficiale associata della Free Software Foundation statunitense" in Europa.
Think tank recommends adoption of FS principles in public sector IT
The 'Institude for Government' think tank has published a 100 page report on public sector IT in the UK called "System Error: Fixing the flaws in government IT", which calls for dramatic change to government attitudes, and wider use of both Free Software and, as Glynn Moody points out, the principles behind its development.
Open Source Specialist Group blames proprietary software for stagnant industry
In a meeting called by the Home Office's lead architect, members of the British Computer Society's Open Source Specialist Group argued that some proprietary software was "viral" in the way that it had spread and stagnated within government and industry, and should be banned from government systems.
Cabinet Office presentation demanding Free Software from suppliers published
A presentation given by the Cabinet Office which outlines its expectations for greater availability and support of Free Software in the public sector is available to the public. It makes clear that the government sees great value in high quality FS, and expects to make significant savings by using it.
Election results for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat
All through the month of February, FSFE's Fellows cast their votes for one of their number to represent them in FSFE's General Assembly. The election period ended yesterday at midnight, with the following results:
Sam's blog: report from ODF Plugfest and Pirate Party UK Conference
Notes and pictures from FSFE's attendance at two important events last week.
UK: FSFE welcomes paper calling for Free Software in the NHS
Research programme publishes damning report of public health ICT, and recommends Free Software and Open Standards.
Fellowship Interview with Massimo Barbieri
Free Software activist, Creative Commons musician, and professional geologist Massimo Barbieri discusses his experiences with Free art, software, and standards.
Ilovefs : Centinaia di dichiarazioni d'amore in 24 ore
Il 14 febbraio, 01:38:27 UTC, il primo messaggio identi.ca relativo alla campagna della FSFE “Io ♥ il Software Libero” è andato in onda su identi.ca. Questo è stato solo l'inizio di una dichiarazione d'amore enorme per sviluppatori di Software Libero e applicazioni che si è conclusa a notte fonda, intorno alle 3:00.
Dichiara il tuo amore per il Software Libero!
Perché non rendere questo 14 Febbraio un giorno di San Valentino molto speciale? A San Valentino, la FSFE chiede agli utenti di Software Libero ovunque di mostrare il loro amore per il Software Libero. E' l'occasione perfetta per mostrare il nostro amore per il Software Libero e la possibilità di usare i computer in libertà.
Brevetto Europeo: La FSFE invita il Parlamento europeo ad aspettare la consulenza legale
La Free Software Foundation Europe sta chiedendo ai Membri del Parlamento Europeo di aspettare una consulenza legale prima di votare su un brevetto unitario per l'Europa. Mentre una proposta è all'ordine del giorno del Parlamento per la prossima settimana, un parere legale della Corte di Giustizia Europea è previsto per la fine di questo mese.
Libertà di leggere, libertà di scrivere: Celebrando il Document Freedom Day 2011
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) invita persone singole, gruppi e istituzioni a celebrare il Document Freedom Day (DFD) il 30 marzo. Il DFD è una giornata mondiale per celebrare gli Standard Aperti e i formati di documento aperti e la loro importanza. Gli Standard Aperti garantiscono la libertà di accedere ai propri dati, e la libertà di sviluppare Software Libero capace di scrivere e leggere dati in formati specifici.
Foreign Office: Will it switch off the Free Software beacon?
The process might have slipped away quietly. But now it is in the spotlight, thanks to a request from the SPD parliamentary group: The Foreign Office (AA), once a "beacon project" for the use of Free Software in the federal ministries, will return to proprietary software. The Linux-Verband (LIVE) and the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) regret this development.
Nuovi Coordinatori nazionali per l'Italia ed il Regno Unito
Giacomo Poderi e Sam Tuke sono diventati i nuovi Coordinatori Nazionali per il gruppo Italiano ed Inglese, rispettivamente.
Fellowship Interview with Anne Østergaard
Political veteran Anne discusses new ways influence European legislation, the scale of Free Software support in developing countries, and the importance of local culture in community campaigning.
New web design launched! Guide to features
After months of work by FSFE's Web Team a new website design has been launched, bringing with it a fresh look, improved infrastructure, and new features.
FSFE concerned about Novell patent sale
Free Software Foundation Europe has written to the German competition authorities in order to share its concerns about the sale of Novell's patents to a consortium called CPTN, made up of Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and EMC.
Fellowship Interview with Alexander Kahl
Fedora maintainer Alex discusses working with Free technology at Nokia, the threat of diluting Free Software principles, and how he uses computing for emotional development.
172 istituzioni pubbliche hanno rimosso la pubblicità a software non libero
Dopo un solo mese dall'inizio della campagna PDFreaders della FSFE, 172 istituzioni pubbliche hanno rimosso la pubblicità a lettori PDF proprietari dai loro siti web. Particolarmente eccezionali sono le risposte provenienti da Croazia, Russia e Slovenia. In Croazia quasi tutte le istituzioni segnalati hanno cancellato le pubblicità. Metà di quelle contattate in Russia e Slovenia hanno soddisfatto le richieste della FSFE.
FSFE welcomes revised European Interoperability Framework (EIF)
The European Commission today published its long-awaited revision of the European Interoperability Framework. This document aims at promoting interoperability in the European public sector. The document is the result of a prolonged and hard-fought process. Free Software Foundation Europe accompanied this process and offered input to the European Commission at various stages.
European Commission's software contract is a rough deal for Europe [UPDATE]
The European Commission will spend EUR 189 million on proprietary software over the next six years, in direct contradiction to its own decisions and guidelines. The Commission last week announced a six-year framework contract to acquire a wide range of mostly proprietary software and related services1.
Fellowship Interview with Brian Gough
GNU Scientific hacker Brian explains why printing Free Documentation is a serious business, why he loves Emacs Org-Mode, and why adaptability is key for Free Software.
Icelandic developer receives Nordic Free Software Award
Bjarni Rúnar Einarsson, Free Software developer and community builder from Iceland, has received the Nordic Free Software Award.
Stop alla pubblicità al software proprietario: via gli annunci dai siti pubblici!
Un mese, una campagna, un obbiettivo: sbarazzarsi delle pubblicità a software non libero sui siti web pubblici. In quattro settimane, la FSFE ha ricevuto segnalazioni riguardanti 2162 istituzioni Europee che pubblicizzano lettori PDF non liberi. Oltre ai 305 attivisti che hanno partecipato alla ricerca, 1500 persone, 46 aziende e 38 organizzazioni hanno firmato la nostra Petizione per la rimozione della pubblicità a software proprietario sui siti delle istituzioni pubbliche. Per il momento la caccia è finita, ora è tempo di inseguire quei siti che incoraggiano i visitatori a mettere a repentaglio la propria libertà. È il momento di eliminare la pubblicità!
Fellowship Interview with Leena Simon
Interviews with FSFE fellows are back! In the first in this new series Chris Woolfrey talks to Leena Simon about dogmatism, surveillance, and why Free Software needs more geek girls.
2286 siti pubblici promuovo software non liberi
Durante la campagna della Free Software Foundation Europe per pdfreaders.org, gli attivisti per il Software Libero da 41 paesi diversi hanno segnalato 2286 istituzioni del settore pubblico che promuovono lettori PDF non liberi sui propri siti web. Ora, FSFE contatterà queste istituzioni cercando di fare rimuovere il maggior numero possibile di pubblicità ai lettori non liberi prima della fine dell'anno. I progressi saranno riportati nella lista delle istituzioni segnalate.
EIFv2: FSFE puts facts against BSA's fictions
FSFE yesterday sent a letter to the European Commission to support Open Standards and interoperability. In the drawn-out battle to retain at least a weak recommendation for Open Standards in the revised European Interoperability Framework, FSFE has countered a leaked letter by proprietary lobby group Business Software Alliance with its own thorough analysis of the relation between standards and patents.
Positions on Free Software and Open Standards of Vienna's political parties
With the upcoming local elections, the Vienna Fellowship group asked the political parties about Free Software and Open Standards. Eight out of fifteen parties replied to the questions about use of Free Software, adoption of Open Standards for communication (internal and external) and E-Governance.
FSFE: Stop alla pubblicità ingiusta - convinci il tuo governo a promuovere lettori liberi di PDF!
La Free Software Foundation Europe invita tutti gli Europei a cercare pubblicità di lettori PDF proprietari sui siti dei propri governi e di segnalarceli. FSFE ha preparato anche una petizione per chiedere la fine di questa pratica pubblicitaria, ed incoraggia il pubblico a firmarla.
Sondaggio europeo sul Software Libero e gli standard: fai sentire la tua voce!
La Free Software Foundation Europe sta chiedendo alle imprese europee di Software Libero di partecipare ad un sondaggio riguardo la posizione delle aziende rispetto all'accettabilità di includere i brevetti software negli standard industriali.
German ministries flout IT open interoperability requirements
Research published this week suggests that the majority of federal government departments in Germany are ignoring requirements to implement Open Standards.
German ministries flout IT open interoperability requirements
Research published by FSFE this week suggests that the majority of federal government departments in Germany are ignoring requirements to implement Open Standards.
German Federal CIO sides with Open Standards for public sector
For Rogall-Grothe a valid technological standard must first be fully publicized, secondly be unrescritively and consistently used, and thirdly not be subjected to any legal restrictions. "The German government has clearly stated that a technical standard will only be recognised if it can be implemented by all organisations, including Free Software companies and developers", says Matthias Kirschner, German Coordinator at the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE).
FSFE: Bolzano, per favore non sprecare i tuoi soldi
il 25 maggio 2010 l'autorità del governo regionale di Bolzano ha deciso di spendere 2.2 milioni di Euro per i prossimi tre anni per rinnovare le licenze software vendute da Microsoft Ireland, e per comprarne di nuove. Tutto ciò è avvenuto senza la pubblicazione di un bando di concorso, rendendo impossibile ai fornitori di software simili concorrenti di fare le proprie offerte.
Fellowship Interview with David Reyes Samblas Martinez
David Reyes Samblas Martinez is the founder of Spanish Copyleft Hardware store Tuxbrain, and attended the famous Open University of Catalunya. He’s also the subject of this month’s Fellowship interview, in which he answers questions on hardware manufacturing, e-learning and Free Software politics.
FSFE: Lack of Open Standards "gaping hole" in EC's Digital Agenda
The European Commission has officially published its long-awaited Digital Agenda, outlining its policy plans for the next five years. "While it includes some important building blocks for Free Software, the omission of Open Standards rips a gaping hole in this agenda," says Karsten Gerloff, President of the Free Software Foundation Europe.
Free Software Foundation Europe receives Theodor Heuss Medal
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) on Saturday received the Theodor Heuss Medal in recognition of its work for freedom in the information society. The medal is awarded once a year in Stuttgart by a non-partisan foundation named for West Germany's first president.
45. Theodor Heuss Preis : Festrede von Ludwig Theodor Heuss
FSFE founder Georg Greve awarded German Cross of Merit
Berlin 28. April 2010. Georg Greve, founding president of the Free Software Foundation Europe, has received the Cross of Merit on ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany (Verdienstkreuz am Bande). Georg received this high award from the German President for his work on Free Software and Open Standards.
Liberate your documents!
Today is Document Freedom Day 2010. For the third time, groups all over the world are celebrating open document formats and Open Standards. They are raising awareness for how a technical issue impacts our day- to-day lives.
Open Standards under threat in Europe
The European Commission is currently trying to get a new draft of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) approved by Member States. The draft gives rise to concerns that the Commission is giving up its worldwide leadership in the use of Open Standards, hurting innovation, competition and user freedom in Europe. FSFE has updated its analysis page, comparing the current draft with previous versions, as well as demands from a proprietary lobby group. Ahead of Document Freedom Day on March 31, FSFE is in conversation with EC and Member State decision makers to make them aware of the problem.
Radio stations granted awards for using Open Standards
Berlin/Vienna March 24. The Free Software Foundation Europe awarded Deutschlandradio and Radio Orange with the Document Freedom Day 2010 Prize for using Open Standards and promoting them in society. FSFE's German team together with the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) will present the DFD cake displaying "rOGG on!" in Berlin and Cologne to Deutschlandradio. The Austrian DFD cake goes to the Vienna-based station Radio Orange 94.0.
Julia Klein elected as Fellowship representative in FSFE GA
FSFE's Fellows have elected their second representative to the organisation's governing body, the General Assembly. Julia Klein will join Torsten Grote in FSFE's strategic decision making body to speak for the Fellows for the next two years.
Document Freedom Day 2010 - Free your documents, save your information!
Will you be able to read your documents 20 years from now? Every day, millions of computer users like you edit text and spreadsheets, take pictures and record audio and video. What if you couldn't read your private letters anymore, or even open that album with pictures from your honeymoon? What if you couldn't exchange those files with friends, because the software used by each one of you can't talk to each other? To help you make your documents future-proof, we celebrate Document Freedom Day on March 31.
FSFE to users: Seize your freedom of choice!
FSFE welcomes the arrival of greater competition in the web browser market. From today, Microsoft has to offer Windows users in Europe the possibility to choose among different browsers. This step puts into practice the company's settlement with the European Commission from December 2009. The Free Software Foundation Europe was an active participant in the Commission's investigation.
On Valentine's Day, show your love for Free Software!
This year on Valentine's Day, FSFE calls on Free Software users everywhere to show their love for Free Software. Behind every Free Software initiative and organisation there are real, hard-working people.
Fellows: Elect your GA representative in February
During the whole of February 2010, FSFE's Fellows will be able to elect their second representative in FSFE's General Assembly. The winner of the election will help FSFE's strategic decision making body plan the future of the organisation, and will join Torsten Grote who occupies the first Fellowship seat since earlier last year. Both Fellowship representatives are full members of the General Assembly for a term of two years, and have all the rights and obligations of other members.
FSFE premiata con la medaglia Theodor Heuss - "organizzazione all'avanguardia"
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) riceve la medaglia Theodor Heuss del 2010 per l'impegno straordinario verso la partecipazione equa alla società dell'informazione. La FSFE si batte dal 2000 per le libertà di usare, studiare, modificare e ridistribuire il software in tutti i settori della società e della politica. La Fondazione Theodor Heuss definisce la FSFE "una organizzazione rivolta al futuro, che contribuisce allo sviluppo e al rafforzamento delle regole per una equa governance globale".
Fellowship Interview with Simon Josefsson
Simon Josefsson is a Fellow and GNU hacker with a special interest in security. His contributions to the Free Software world include such ubiquitous projects as GnuTLS and libssh2, and he was recently presented with the Nordic Free Software Award. Stian Rødven Eide interviewed Simon as a part of our regular Fellowship interviews, asking him about his projects and other security matters.
FSFE: EC's browser case settlement with Microsoft
Free Software Foundation Europe congratulates the European Commission on pushing Microsoft to give users greater choice between different browsers. "The selection screen will make users aware that they can make their own choices," says Karsten Gerloff, FSFE's President. "We are glad that FSFE has helped the Commission to put limits to Microsoft's desktop monopoly."
FSFE: La Commissione Europea apre alle lobby del software proprietario sulla interoperabilità
La Commissione Europea (CE) ha ceduto alle richieste dei gruppi di pressione di Microsoft e SAP nel momento in cui ha rivisto un documento chiave sulla interoperabilità tra servizi governativi elettronici. La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ha analizzato l'evoluzione della nuova versione dell' European Interoperability Framework (EIF), mostrando come la Commissione abbia basato il proprio lavoro sull'influenza della Business Software Alliance (BSA), un gruppo di lobby di produttori di software proprietario, e ignorato le voci provenienti da una larga parte dell'industria Europea del software. Allo stesso tempo, le dichiarazioni sul Software Libero rilasciate dal Vice Presidente della Commissione evidenziano una preoccupante carenza di conoscenze in seno alla Commissione.
Cibo della libertà: FSFE cucinerà per i suoi donatori
Per la raccolta fondi di quest'anno, la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ha escogitato qualcosa di speciale. Il donatore più generoso del 2009 parteciperà a una sessione di cucina col Presidente di FSFE e altri membri del gruppo esecutivo dell'organizzazione. FSFE conta di raccogliere 100,000 Euro per l'ultimo trimestre del 2009.
FSFE rilascerà 36 sussidi per la Fellowship nei prossimi 12 mesi!
A partire da Novembre 2009, Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) premierà tre persone al mese con un sussidio per la Fellowship per tutto l'anno venturo. Possono fare domanda per il sussidio tutti coloro che contribuiscono attivamente al Software Libero, ma non possono permettersi il contributo alla Fellowship.
FSFE in battle for European interoperability
FSFE has unleashed an advocacy push in order to prevent the European Commission from hollowing out an important European reference document on interoperability. A draft for a new version of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) leaked to the press last week.
Fellowship Interview with Leif-Jöran Olsson
Leif-Jöran Olsson is a language technologist and XML enthusiast with a long history in the Swedish solidarity movement. I sat down for an interview with Leif-Jöran and asked him about his background, his education and the various projects he’s been involved in.
FSFE - La soluzione per l'accordo Oracle/Sun: rendere MySQL indipendente
Free Software Foundation Europe sostiene che Oracle debba accettare di assegnare MySQL alla custodia di un guardiano non-profit e indipendente. La comunità del Software Libero potrebbe sviluppare MySQL al massimo del proprio potenziale, mentre Oracle non dovrebbe preoccuparsi che un concorrente possa mettere le mani sul progetto del database.
FSFE's banners for you to spread all over the web!
A new set of graphics that includes banners, web 2.0 buttons and micro buttons to advertise donations to FSFE e FSFE's Newsletter is awaiting for you to be grabbed and spread. Whether you manage a bullettin board, a weblog or a website feel free to copy and paste our html code into your site. Show the web that you care about Free Software and FSFE!
Windows 7 to hit consumers with known security problem
Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, is currently shipping with a potentially serious defect. Ahead of the product's global launch on Thursday, Germany's federal IT security agency (BSI) has issued a warning [1] about a high-risk vulnerability in the SMB2 protocol. This can be exploited over the network to shut down a computer with a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.
Microsoft settlement leaves Free Software in the cold
The European Commission yesterday announced a preliminary agreement with Microsoft. The deal is supposed to settle an antitrust investigation about the company's dominant position in the web browser market. The Commission is also ready to strike a deal on interoperability. The goal is to allow rival products to work with Microsoft's applications on the desktop.
Microsoft antitrust case: FSFE offers analysis to European Commission
The European Commission is on the verge of settling two antitrust cases against Microsoft. The details of this settlement will determine how much competition there can be in Europe's software market for years to come.
Fellowship Interview with Andreas Tolf Tolfsen
Andreas Tolf Tolfsen is a web technologist, developer and aspiring musicologist - who works at Opera Software, and regularly fights for digital freedoms. I sat down for a Jabber session with Andreas, asking him about his work, his life and his music.
Free Software hits German election campaigns
The issue of Free Software has hit the run-up to the German elections. During a campaign launched by Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) politicians from many parties have recognised the potential of Free Software and Open Standards for Germany. In response to questions from supporters of FSFE, they explain that Free Software equals more competition, promotes innovation and provides cost savings.
German Election: Ask your candidate about Free Software!
With the German federal elections coming up on September 27 2009, FSFE calls on all friends of freedom to ask the parties' candidates about their positions on Free Software and Open Standards. We have set up a page about the German Bundestagswahl to help you ask questions, and to collect the answers.
Thomas Jensch takes on coordination for FSFE's edu-team
Thomas Jensch, FSFE's current intern in the Zurich office, took on the role of coordinator for FSFE's edu-team. During his internship, one of Thomas' tasks is to reorganise and revive FSFE's activities related to Free Software in education. He already agreed to continue coordinating the team after the conclusion of his internship in November.
EU browser case: FSFE says details of settlement will be crucial
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) congratulates the European Commission on its firm stance in the antitrust investigation against Microsoft, which has led the company to offer a settlement. For any such settlement, getting the details right will be crucial for competition and innovation in the web browser market.
Fellowship Interview with Smári McCarthy
Smári McCarthy is a thoughtful anarchist and practical chaos technician - with a deep interest in Free Software and democracy. Currently serving as project manager for the Icelandic Innovation Center, Smári works on digital fabrication and peer-to-peer education, while spending his spare time breaking the fundamental assumptions of how we organise society. I sat down for an interesting interview with Smári, in which he explained his projects and how they can contribute towards a more sustainable world.
Introducing FSFE's new president, vice president and executive team
During its General Assembly in Miraflores de la Sierra, Spain, the members of FSFE elected new coordinators for several of the organisation's activities, including strategy, legal and executive coordination.
GA 2009: Spanish Team Meeting & Social Event
FSFE's Spanish team is proud to invite all people interested in Free Software to a team meeting in order to set the group's agenda for next months. The meeting will take place alongside FSFE's 2009 General Assembly in Residencia La Cristalera near Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid. After the meeting there will be a Social Event with the opportunity to meet and get to know various people from FSFE's Executive Team and General Assembly who have come to Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, for the yearly meeting to discuss and decide upon FSFE's strategy for the coming year.
And the winner of the election for FSFE's Fellowship GA seat is…
It has been an interesting time since FSFE added a Fellowship representation to the General Assembly (GA). Torsten Grote, Jan-Hendrik Peters, Michel Roche, and Björn Schießle emerged from the candidacy period, as the first four Fellows running for the election.
FSFE seeking legal department coordinator and staff members
FSFE is seeking applicants for coordinator and staff positions in our legal department, the Freedom Task Force. The FTF coordinator and staff work in cooperation with a mixed team of volunteers and employees to support FSFE's mission.
Fellowship Interview with Timo Jyrinki
In addition to being the friendly media face of Wikipedia Finland, the team contact for Ubuntu Finland and founder of local advocacy project Vapaa Suomi (Libre Finland), Timo Jyrinki has been involved as an active developer and translator for a wide range of Free Software organisations such as FSFE, Debian, GNOME and Openmoko. He has worked on computer graphics for much of his life, with a particular interest in human-computer interaction, and spends a lot of his current time making improvements to embedded systems. Timo is also the subject of this month's Fellowship interview.
FSFE submission to European Patent Office
Patents on software provide obstacles to knowledge-based industries by making computers less secure, less reliable and by preventing competition on a basic level. Lack of competition and uncalculable legal risks raise the cost of ICT and cost jobs across the entire industry, for which the enablement through software is a major innovation driver, as highlighted in the UNCTAD Information Economy Report 2007-2008.
FSFE and the Fellowship reorganise their domains
In the past months, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) visibly improved the technological infrastructure of the Fellowship. We moved the Fellows' blogging platform to a new site, we created a Planet to aggregate the Fellows' blogs and we provided them with an improved and functional wiki.
Fellowship Interview with Myriam Schweingruber
Myriam Schweingruber is a devoted Free Software advocate with a flair for convincing people. Having worked as a translator, a school teacher and a pharmacist, Myriam is quite experienced in the art of communication, and gives a clear impression of trustworthiness. She has been especially active in the Swiss community, and helped found FSFE’s associate organisation, Whilhelm Tux, where she also served as the President. Read on for the latest instalment of our Fellowship interview series - "the smallest unit of freedom".
FSFE seeking Executive Director
It will be the responsibility of the Executive Director to coordinate FSFE's day-to-day affairs through working with a mixed team of volunteers and employees. Further responsibilities include management of the organisational assets according to the priorities set by the General Assembly and coordination of the Executive Council.
Candidates for first Fellowship seat on FSFE's General Assembly
The election process for the first Fellowship seat on FSFE's General Assembly is underway now and four people have put themselves up for election by all Fellows: Torsten Grote, Jan-Hendrik Peters, Michel Roche, and Björn Schießle.
Today is DFD ‘09, global day for document liberation
A great global community is gathering today to celebrate the second Document Freedom Day. After a successful 2008 celebration, Document Freedom Day teams all over the world are joining efforts to raise awareness for Document Freedom and Open Standards.
FSFE announces the second European Licensing and Legal Workshop for Free Software
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) today announces that the second European Licensing and Legal Workshop will be held at the Hotel Okura on the 23rd and the 24th of April 2009 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This conference will provide a forum for discussions on supply chain management, compliance procedures, licence management, community interaction, and other legal issues related to the growth of the European Free Software market.
Free Software Foundation Europe Celebrates Eighth Birthday
For eight years now, the Free Software Foundation Europe has been working tirelessly for basic rights and freedoms in an increasingly software-driven society. The 11th of March 2009 sees another major milestone passed, with its 2^3 (eighth) birthday being celebrated by its friends, Fellows and associates.
Fellowship vote for GA seats – Call for nominations
The election for the first Fellowship seat in FSFE's General Assembly will finish on 1 June in time for the next general assembly, which is scheduled for 19-21 June in Miraflores de la Sierra, Spain.
FSFE prende parte alla causa dell'UE sui browser
Free Software Foundation Europe annuncia oggi che supporterà l'indagine antitrust della Commissione Europea contro Microsoft e a questo fine ha richiesto formalmente di essere ammessa come terza parte interessata.
Fellowship Interview with Colin Turner
Colin Turner is a dedicated Free Software activist and Fellowship member, working as a scientist and teacher at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. He has been advocating Free Software in schools and universities for many years and generously shared some of his experiences with us in this fourth instalment of our Fellowship interview series - "the smallest unit of freedom".
La FSFE lancia la campagna per lettori PDF liberi
La Fellowship della Free Software Foundation Europe è fiera di annunciare la sua ultima iniziativa: pdfreaders.org, un sito contenente informazioni sul formato PDF e collegamenti a programmi liberi di lettura dei PDF per tutti i maggiori sistemi operativi.
FTF releases legal infrastructure guide for Free Software projects
FSFE's Freedom Task Force (FTF) is pleased to announce the release of a guide to assist with establishing legal infrastructure for Free Software projects.
Fellowship Interview with Enrico Zini
Enrico Zini is a long time Fellow of the FSFE and a prominent Debian developer. He has been involved in many different projects relating to Free Software and is deeply concerned about social issues. Read on for the fourth in our Fellowship interview series - "the smallest unit of freedom".
Interoperabilità tra browser web: FSFE accoglie la decisione della CE ed offre supporto
La Free Software Foundation Europe accoglie la decisione della Commissione Europea ed offre il suo supporto nell'imminente investigazione antitrust. Come già affermato precedentemente in una lettera al Commissario per la Concorrenza in Europa Neelie Kroes, comportamenti anticoncorrenziali sono inaccettabili sia che si esplichino nel legare i prodotti a segmenti di mercato in cui si ha una posizione dominante o nell'aggirare gli standard e l'equo accesso.
I risultati dello sprint di traduzioni
Lo sprint di traduzioni per il nuovo anno lanciato da FSFE è terminato ieri con un risultato di tutto rispetto: i numerosi volontari hanno creato 49 nuove traduzioni ed aggiornato 137 documenti in 28 giorni.
Il team centrale di FSFE esprime il proprio apprezzamento a tutti i volontari che hanno contribuito. Rendendo le informazioni sul Software Libero e sulle attività di FSFE disponibili in altre lingue Europee, avete fornito una grande contributo.
FSFE - Proposito per l'anno 2009
Tornato al lavoro? Ancora impegnato nei propositi per l'anno nuovo? Il 2009 sarà un anno importante per la FSFE, ad esempio perché l'Assemblea Generale vedrà la partecipazione del primo Fellow, scelto tramite un'elezione generale tra tutti i Fellow della FSFE. La Fellowship continuerà a giocare un ruolo importante nelle attività della FSFE.
Fellowship Interview with Johannes (Hanno) Böck
This month features the third installment of our Fellowship interviews series. Hanno Böck is a Fellowship member who concerns himself with a wide range of issues, from privacy and media activism to GNU/Linux and the environment. Stian Rødven Eide sat down for an interview session with Hanno, asking him about his work and how it all relates to Free Software.
Fellowship Interview with Johannes (Hanno) Böck
This month we interviewed Johannes Böck about CAcert, Gentoo, OpenStreetMap, privacy, security, and Free Software businesses. This is the third in our series of Fellowship interviews - "the smallest unit of freedom".
FSFE annuncia uno sprint di traduzioni di 4 settimane
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) annuncia uno sprint di traduzioni per le proprie pagine web che durerà dal 15 dicembre 2008 all'11 gennaio 2009. Scopo di questo sprint è quello di fornire informazioni sul Software Libero e sul lavoro di FSFE nel maggior numero di lingue possibile.
FSFE aggiunge rappresentanza per la Fellowship all'Assemblea Generale
Oggi la FSFE annuncia il rinnovo del proprio statuto, che prevede l'aggiunta di due seggi in rappresentanza della Fellowship all'Assemblea Generale. Questo darà ai Fellow di FSFE una rappresentanza diretta nel principale organo decisionale dell'organizzazione.
FTF and gpl-violations release a guide to reporting and fixing licence violations
FSFE's Freedom Task Force (FTF) and GPL-Violations.org today released a guide to reporting and fixing licence compliance issues. This guide will help users and developers to deal with license violation reports. It explains how to make a report, what information is useful to include, and offers suggestions for how projects or businesses can deal with reports once they are received.
Analysis on balance: Standardisation and Patents
Following up on the "IPR in ICT Standardisation" Workshop two weeks ago in Brussels, FSFE president Georg Greve analysed the conflicts between patents and standards. The resulting paper is about the most harmful effects of patents on standards, the effectiveness of current remedies, and potential future remedies.
Fellowship Interview with Rolf Camps
This month Ciarán O'Riordan interviewed Rolf Camps about translating, volunteering, and awareness of Free Software in Belgium. Translations are utterly crucial for a European organisation, and it's a lot of work that doesn't get much visible credit, so Ciarán wanted to ask Rolf about motivations and what's involved. This is the second in our series of Fellowship interviews - "the smallest unit of freedom".
FSFE per Libertà Non Paura
La Free Software Foundation Europe promuove il Software Libero perché ogni cittadino possa avere un ruolo indipendente, attivo e responsabile nella società dell'informazione. Ma la censura, le violazioni del principio della 'Neutralità della Rete' e la crescente sorveglianza in rete non si conciliano con questi obiettivi. Per questo, FSFE invita alla partecipazione alla giornata di azione globale "Libertà Non Paura", che si svolgerà questo sabato, l'11 Ottobre.
Buon compleanno GNU! - La FSFE festeggia il 25° compleanno del Progetto GNU!
Oggi è il venticinquesimo anniversario dell'annuncio iniziale del progetto GNU, un'iniziativa pionieristica tesa a sviluppare un sistema operativo che dia a tutti gli utenti la libertà di modificarlo e di pubblicarne versioni modificate, individualmente o in collaborazione. La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) loda i notevoli risultati raggiunti nel primo quarto di secolo di GNU ed è impaziente di promuovere il loro comune obiettivo di rendere possibili le libertà del software.
FSFE to make legal consolidation tool available in 10 languages
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) announced today that it plans to make the Fiduciary License Agreement (FLA) available ten languages. The selected languages are English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Serbian, Polish, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese.
25 years GNU = 25% discount for 25 days
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the GNU project FSFE will be offering a 25% discount on merchandise from the 23th September until the 17th October. Please note that this discount does not apply to shipping costs.
Printable information material about FSFE available for download
A folder with general information about FSFE and Free Software, and some leaflets with specific information about FSFE's projects and activities are now available online in HTML and PDF format. Everybody can download, print, distribute!
FSFE welcomes KDE's adoption of the Fiduciary Licence Agreement (FLA)
"We see the adoption of the FLA by KDE as a positive and important milestone in the maturity of the Free Software community," says Georg Greve, president of Free Software Foundation Europe. "The FLA was designed to help projects increase the legal maintainability of their software to ensure long-term protection and reliability. KDE is among the most important Free Software initiatives and it is playing a central role in bringing freedom to the desktop. This decision of the KDE project underlines its dedication to think about how to make that freedom last."
Stabilisers for freedom: Wine 1.0
"Of course, it should be in the users interest to 'ride their bicycles independently', i.e. not having to rely on training wheels. However, the training wheels keep children from falling and give freedom to both the children and their parents. Likewise Wine helped to give freedom and security to the users. It is for this we are thankful and we recognise their work."
GPL-Violations.org and FSFE's Freedom Task Force to work more closely together
"It is a clear, legal fact that distributing Free Software means people must comply with the licences. GPL-Violations.org and the FTF are now building the long-term legal infrastructure for support and compliance" comments Harald Welte. Shane Coughlan adds "I believe our new agreement will help ensure sustainability for legal infrastructure to support Free Software in Europe."
FSFE concerned about quality of standardisation process
"Technologically speaking, the state of IS29500 is depressing," says Marko Milenovic of FSFE's Serbian Team and co-chair of the Serbian technical committee on DIS29500. "In large parts it is low quality technical prose that fails to use the normative terminology mandated by ISO/IEC's guidelines. We've been told to wait for the maintenance process for MS-OOXML to become usable. That ISO would knowingly approve a dysfunctional specification is disillusioning."
26 March 2008: Today is Document Freedom Day!
Today is Document Freedom Day: Roughly 200 teams from more than 60 countries worldwide are organising local activities to raise awareness for Document Freedom and Open Standards. [...] Document Freedom is about giving you control of your information, it is about giving governments control of their public records, and it is about freedom of choice. You can give yourself that freedom today [...]
Petition calls for Open Standards in the European Parliament
At a time when the EU Commission investigates the anti-competitive behaviour of a market-dominant player, the European Parliament (EP) still imposes that same specific software choice on both the European Union's citizens and its own MEPs. OpenForum Europe, The European Software Market Association, and the Free Software Foundation Europe today launched a petition to call on the EP to use Open Standards so that all citizens can participate in the democratic process.
FSFE context briefing: Interoperability woes with MS-OOXML.
FSFE has released a context briefing on Interoperability problems caused by Microsoft's Office OpenXML format: "The proposed MS-OOXML/DIS29500 specification raises serious technical and legal concerns. This context briefing highlights three examples of how the proposed specification and its practical implementation in MS Office 2007 hinders interoperability, fosters vendor dependence and results in market distortion."
Google helps FSFE's FTF to deliver training, attend conferences and translate documents.
"The Freedom Task Force is working to foster effective legal infrastructure for Free Software in Europe. A great deal of our work is based on engaging directly with people and Google's contribution will allow us to do this more effectively," says Shane Coughlan, FTF Coordinator.
FSFE invita Microsoft a rilasciare le informazioni sull'interoperabilità senza restrizioni
La Commissione Europea ha condannato Microsoft a una multa di 899 milioni di Euro per comportamento anticoncorrenziale, avendo limitato l'accesso alle informazioni necessarie per l'interoperabilità. "Microsoft è l'ultima azienda che promuove attivamente l'uso dei brevetti software per limitare l'interoperabilità. Questo genere di comportamento è del tutto fuori luogo nella società di Internet dove tutti i componenti dovrebbero connettersi senza interruzioni qualunque sia la loro origine," afferma Georg Greve, presidente della Free Software Foundation Europe.
Microsoft pledge excluding primary competitors
Yesterday's media briefing by Microsoft on its its pledge to release interoperability information for flagship products contained little actual news. Over the years Microsoft has made multiple similar pledges and they at times proved to be detrimental rather than beneficial for interoperability. Examining the terms of the Microsoft's latest action shows no major change of policy.
26 March: A global day for document liberation
The Document Freedom Day (DFD) is a global day for Document Liberation with grassroots action for promotion of Free Document Formats and Open Standards in general. The DFD was initiated and is supported by a group of organisations and companies, including, but not limited to, the Free Software Foundation Europe, ODF Alliance, OpenForum Europe, IBM, Red Hat and Sun Microsystems, Inc. On 26 March 2008, the Document Freedom Day will provide a global rallying point for Document Liberation and Open Standards.
FSFE Context Briefing: DIS-29500 - Deprecated before use?
When ECMA submitted MS-OOXML as ECMA-376 to ISO for fast-track approval, several countries criticised overlap with the existing ISO standard ISO/IEC 26300:2006, the Open Document Format (ODF). [...] Considering that alleged preservation of idiosyncrasies is the stated reason for the entire DIS-29500 ISO process, FSFE considers it worthwhile to investigate this claim in greater depth.
FSFE annuncia il primo Seminario europeo sulle licenze del Software Libero
La Freedom Task Force di FSFE annuncia oggi che il primo Seminario europeo sulle licenze del Software Libero si terrà venerdì 11 Aprile ad Amsterdam, Paesi Bassi. Il luogo dell'incontro è l'InterContinental Amstel Hotel.
NLnet continua a sostenere la Freedom Task Force di FSFE
La Freedom Task Force di FSFE è stata lanciata nel Novembre 2006 per fornire sostegno a individui, progetti e imprese nella comprensione delle licenze del Software Libero. La fase iniziale della FTF è stata possibile grazie al sostegno dell'organizzazione filantropica olandese NLnet foundation. Il supporto di NLnet ha permesso alla FTF di fornire servizi di formazione e consulenza e di lavorare in collaborazione con gpl-violations.org per risolvere i problemi di rispetto delle licenze nel contesto europeo. La FTF ha anche formato reti di esperti tecnici e legali per promuovere la cooperazione tra avvocati, progetti e imprese per quanto riguarda le licenze. Ora, dopo oltre dodici mesi di continua crescita, NLnet procura un secondo giro di supporto finanziario a questo innovativo progetto legale.
FSFE appoggia la nuova indagine antitrust contro Microsoft
"Microsoft dovrebbe essere tenuta ad implementare gli standard liberi e aperti del settore in modo trasparente, completo e fedele," è il messaggio di una lettera della Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) al Commissario Europeo per la Concorrenza Neelie Kroes. Per aiutare a raggiungere questo obiettivo, FSFE ha offerto il proprio sostegno per un'eventuale indagine antitrust che si baserebbe sul reclamo presentato da Opera Software contro Microsoft. Il reclamo era dovuto al comportamento anticompetitivo di Microsoft nel mercato dei browser web.
Caso antitrust chiuso: Samba riceve le informazioni sull'interoperabilità
Questo caso è chiuso e l'interoperabilità ha vinto. La Corte Europea ha chiarito che le informazioni di interoperabilità non possono essere tenute segrete; l'accordo dimostra che Microsoft non può in alcun modo continuare a ostacolare l'interoperabilità in questo contesto. Questo costituisce un requisito a cui tutti si dovranno adeguare d'ora in poi.
Benvenuti nel mondo dopo la fine del blocco nelle dipendenze (lock-in) nel settore ICT
"Il blocco dato dalla dipendenza da un dato fornitore è diventato il problema principale per le decisioni IT in generale e per l'adozione del Software Libero in particolare. Distorce il mercato e nega alle soluzioni di Software Libero un'equa concorrenza basata sui meriti. Il problema è che molti lock-in sono invisibili, ad esempio la dipendenza da protocolli proprietari od il bisogno di usare certi formati di documenti. Certified Open rende questo lock-in visibile e permette agli utenti di misurare la loro dipendenza".
FSFE, Samba: un trionfo per la libertà di scelta e la concorrenza
"Microsoft non si può più considerare al di sopra della legge" dice Georg Greve, presidente della Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). "Microsoft è riuscita a rinviare questa giornata per quasi dieci anni, usando le stesse tattiche che hanno fatto deragliare le indagini antitrust in altre parti del mondo, inclusi gli Stati Uniti. Ma grazie alla perseveranza e all'eccellente lavoro della Commissione Europea, in Europa queste tattiche hanno fallito".
FSFE offers to help companies adhere to Free Software licence terms
The terms of the GNU GPL licence have been confirmed as binding once again, with a German court ruling that Skype was failing to uphold its obligations as a distributor. FSFE wants to help other vendors understand their GNU GPL obligations.
La bufala del convertitore
Articolo della FSFE su Heise.de: "La conversione tra il formato Office OpenXML di Microsoft (MS-OOXML) e l'indipendente Open Document Format (ODF) è stata proposta da Microsoft e dalle sue associate come una soluzione ai problemi causati dagli sforzi di Microsoft per spingere nel mercato un formato in conflitto con l'esistente Standard Aperto. [...] Se questi convertitori fossero davvero capaci di fare quello che promettono, sarebbero inutili."
Free Software personal assistance for businesses
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has always helped the community through providing pro bono advice, and through this has discovered that businesses often require additional personal assistance. For this reason, FSFE is offering businesses a chance to get individual consultancy regarding Free Software issues at its Zurich, Switzerland office.
BBC: Questions for Microsoft on open formats
Featured article by Georg Greve and Joachim Jakobs about the need for Open Standards in archival, and why using MS-OOXML risks future data loss: "Digital information could potentially be stored without loss of quality for a very long time to come. But without knowledge about the encoding, our documents will become a meaningless series of ones and zeroes to future generations, just like cave paintings are too often meaningless bits of colour on stone to us."
Rilasciata la GNU GPLv3
La versione 3 della GNU GPL è stata rilasciata, dopo 18 mesi di consultazione e discussione pubblica. La versione 3 fornisce una migliore internazionalizzazione, una protezione maggiore contro i brevetti sul software, e fa un miglior lavoro nell'assicurare che gli utenti di Software Libero possano installare software modificato nei loro computer.
Sei domande agli enti nazionali di standardizzazione
Le seguenti sei domande si riferiscono alla richiesta di accettazione del formato ECMA/MS-OOXML come standard IEC/ISO. Un ente di standardizzazione nazionale, a meno che non abbia risposte convincenti per tutte queste domande, dovrebbe votare no in sede IEC/ISO e richiedere che Microsoft incorpori il suo lavoro su MS-OOXML nell'ISO/IEC 26300:2006 (Open Document Format).
Il messaggio di Microsoft: è tempo di investire nel Software Libero
In un tentativo di generare paura, incertezza e dubbio nel cuore del mondo finanziario, Microsoft ha annunciato una serie enorme di violazioni di brevetti da parte del Software Libero, in un recente articolo di Fortune.
Il Parlamento Europeo deve fermare la criminalizzazione degli utenti e dei distributori di software
La FSFE critica la proposta della "seconda Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive" (IPRED2) perché introduce elementi di criminalizzazione in diverse aree legislative e per la superficiale descrizione delle fattispecie di reato, che includono 'il tentativo, la complicità e l'istigazione'. Il testo proposto criminalizza questi comportamenti in violazione di leggi molto diverse, come quelle che regolano il diritto d'autore, i marchi e i brevetti.
La FSFE lancia l'elenco dei suoi esperti legali sul Software Libero
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) è impegnata con esperti legali di tutta Europa nel rafforzare la solidità legale del Software Libero, ed è convinta che sia sempre più importante poter trovare supporto legale professionale, man mano che la comunità del Software Libero matura. Per questo motivo, la FSFE ha introdotto delle nuove linee guida per individuare esperti legali nei vari paesi.
È tempo di ricompensarvi: la lotteria della Fellowship 2007!
"La comunità del Software Libero si basa sul principio della cooperazione tra tante parti diverse tra loro. La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) lavora esclusivamente per il bene dell'intera comunità, comprese le aziende che utilizzano il Software Libero", spiega Georg Greve, presidente della FSFE. "Facciamo questo lavoro con piacere e con grande entusiasmo, e abbiamo sempre ben a mente che, in larga parte, questo lavoro è reso possibile da coloro che collaborano con noi e ci supportano, in particolare i tanti Fellow di FSFE"
FSFE releases solution to increase legal strength of Free Software projects
Today FSFE has released the Fiduciary Licence Agreement (FLA) under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation Licence (GFDL) and the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-alike (CC by-sa) licence. The FLA is a copyright assignment that allows Free Software projects to bundle their copyright in a single organisation or person. It enables projects to ensure their legal maintainability and can be used to either assign copyright to FSFE's Fiduciary Program or to assign the rights to another organisation set up by the project team itself.
The Vista message: Upgrade to GNU/Linux now!
FSFE considers this a unique opportunity: With the release of Vista, users will need to upgrade to a new operating system that will feel different and require some time to get used to its functionality. The same is true for any modern GNU/Linux distribution. It is about the same investment in effort, but it will give you control over your own data.
FSFE becomes the legal guardian of the OpenSwarm Project
The OpenSwarm Project will be protected by FSFE's Freedom Task Force (FTF). Shane Coughlan, FTF Coordinator, explains "The Freedom Task Force is here to help strengthen the legal foundation of the Free Software eco-system. The Fiduciary licence Agreement is part of this. It provides a clear way for projects to consolidate their copyright. In the case of OpenSwarm, FSFE is acting a legal guardian for the project and ensuring that the developers can focus on maturing an exciting development platform."
Transcript: Free Software and the Future of Freedom
In this talk, Richard Stallman explains why Free Software is
defined the way it is, the technical and political choices that
have gotten the Free Software movement to where it is today, and
what we have to do to prepare for what's ahead. With more than
20 years of practice, Stallman also entertains while telling the
story.
This transription work was undertaken by FSFE due
to the very positive feedback from the transcripts about GPLv3.
FSFE becomes the legal guardian of the Bacula Project
Kern Sibbald, the founder and lead developer of the Bacula network backup solution, assigned his copyright to FSFE. "I wanted to underline the commitment of the Bacula Project to Free Software," said Kern. "Bacula has always been a community project and we're just solidifying that for the long-term. I am very thankful that the FSFE is providing this service because it removes an important administrative burden from the project, which allows us to focus on the task of programming."
Launching Freedom Task Force, Co-operating with gpl-violations.org
"We have as a primary goal to help corporations to adhere to the licences from the onset, rather than to have to enforce violations later," explains Mr. Coughlan. "We encourage those responsible for compliance for their company to contact us, so we can work together to avoid licence compliance problems, rather than having to later solve problems that could have been avoided in the first place."
DRM.info: Informazioni relative ai danni provocati dal controllo dell'uso privato dei media
Questa mattina, un gruppo di organizzatori e autori, su iniziativa della Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), ha dato inizio al DRM.info, una piattaforma collaborativa di informazioni relative ai potenziali danni dei Dgital Restriction Managment (DRM). Il gruppo di contribuenti appartengono a differenti ambiti, come quello della libertà digitale, il network attivismo,i diritti dei consumatori e le biblioteche.
Pubblicata la seconda bozza della GPLv3
Dopo sei mesi di consultazione pubblica, è disponibile la seconda bozza di discussione pubblica della GPLv3, che risponde alle questioni sollevate pubblicamente sui brevetti, il Digital Restrictions Management, e l'applicabilità globale, tra le altre cose.
La Commissione a Microsoft: Impedire l'interoperabilità ha un prezzo
La Commissione Europea ha deciso di comminare a Microsoft una multa di 1.5 milioni di euro al giorno retroattivamente dal 16 dicembre 2005, in totale 280.5 milioni di euro. Se Microsoft non si adeguasse entro la fine di luglio 2006, la multa giornaliera potrebbe essere raddoppiata. Queste multe sono una reazione alla mancanza continuata di adeguamento di Microsoft alla decisione della Commissione Europea di rendere le informazioni per l'interoperabilità disponibili ai concorrenti come precondizione necessaria per permettere un'equa concorrenza. FSFE ha sostenuto la Commissione Europea dall'inizio dell'azione legale nel 2001.
Conferenza internazionale sulla GPLv3, dettagli online
La terza conferenza internazionale sulla GPLv3 ospiterà esperti da tutta
Europa e dal mondo. Segnerà il punto centrale del processo di revisione,
che durerà un anno, della licenza caposaldo del Software Libero.
Il Centro di Cultura Contemporanea di Barcellona (CCCB), nel cuore della
città, ospiterà l'evento. Durante questa due giorni di conferenza, ci
saranno interventi di esperti come Richard Stallman, presidente della
FSF, Eben Moglen, presidente del Software Freedom Law Center, Georg
Greve, presidente della FSF Europe e Harald Welte, fondatore di
gpl-violations.org.
L'Europa ospita la terza conferenza internazionale su GPLv3 a Barcellona il 22 e 23 giugno
La conferenza si terrà a Barcellona, in un luogo che sarà annunciato prossimamente. A gennaio è cominciato un processo pubblico di consultazione per aggiornare la Licenza Pubblica Generica GNU, nota come "GPL", la licenza usata dalla maggior parte dei progetti di Software Libero per regolare la distribuzione del software
FSFE dà il benevenuto a KDE e.V. come nuova organizzazione associata
La KDE e.V. -- un'organizzazione registrata senza fine di lucro che rappresenta il K Desktop Environment (KDE®) in questioni legali e finanziarie -- e la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) sono orgogliose di annunciare che si sono associate, per lavorare assieme nella promozione e protezione del Software Libero sui computer degli utenti in Europa e nel mondo.
Samba e FSFE: "Microsoft - ostacolo all'innovazione nella società digitale"
"I prezzi che le aziende e le pubbliche amministrazioni devono pagare sono mantenuti alti a causa del rifiuto di Microsoft di rilasciare informazioni di interoperabilità con i prodotti concorrenti, che è invece pratica comune nel settore", spiega oggi alla Corte Europea Andrew Tridgell, presidente e fondatore del Samba Team, nel suo intervento per parte della Free Software Foundation Europe.
Microsoft: "I nostri brevetti software precludono l'interoperabilità"
Carlo Piana, legale della Free Software Foundation Europe nella causa antitrust spiega: "Microsoft sostiene di detenere 46 brevetti su Active Directory Services, il cui effetto principale è quello di impedire l'interoperabilità, e alla lunga la concorrenza".
FSFE: "Microsoft intrappola gli utenti e spinge i brevetti software per impedire la concorrenza."
"Il software di Microsoft intrappola gli utenti, e ora l'azienda sta spingendo perché questo effetto di "lock-in" venga legalizzato attraverso i brevetti software". Questo il messaggio di un articolo pubblicato dalla Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) sul proprio sito web.
Estrazione dei notebook: i vincitori sono...
L'estrazione dei due notebook in palio è avvenuta: due fortunati Fellow, un italiano e un olandese, hanno vinto i notebook HP Compaq con il sistema Debian GNU/Linux preinstallato.
La FSFE celebra il suo quinto compleanno
C'è sempre più bisogno di agire in modo coordinato per proteggere la libertà di tutti.
La Free Software Foundation Europe il primo di aprile non fa scherzi: unitevi alla Fellowship e vincete un notebook!
Il modo con cui la FSFE ringrazia i Fellow per il loro sostegno: come è avvenuto l'anno scorso con il PDA donato da xtops.de, il primo aprile di quest'anno la Free Software Foundation Europe metterà in palio due portatili HP fra tutti i suoi Fellow. Per i due Fellow fortunati, il primo di aprile non sarà uno scherzo.
La FSFE a Microsoft: basta lamentarsi, è ora di obbedire!
"Dopo alcuni anni di indagini, una prima sentenza del 2004 e una causa davanti alla Corte Europea che dura da quasi due anni, dobbiamo concludere che Microsoft non ha mai avuto intenzione di rispettare la sentenza antitrust", commenta Georg Greve, presidente della Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). "Abbiamo dovuto assistere ad anni di ritardi, stalli e rinvii, durante i quali Microsoft non ha fatto nulla per consentire l'interoperabilità e la concorrenza, anche rispetto a software libero come Samba".
FKF e FSFE fanno squadra: la FKF diventa ufficialmente organizzazione associata alla FSF Europe
La Free Knowledge Foundation / Fundacion Conocimiento Libre (FKF) e la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) sono liete di annunciare il loro nuovo status ufficiale di organizzazioni associate, con lo scopo di favorire la promozione e la protezione del software libero in Spagna.
Caso antitrust europeo: "Microsoft offre una mela avvelenata"
"Ora è chiaro che si trattava dell'ennesimo stratagemma di marketing: ieri Microsoft si è comportata come un rapinatore che, richiesto di deporre la pistola, vi lancia contro una granata."
FSFE files application for leave to intervene in antitrust suit against Microsoft
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) filed an application for leave to intervene in the antitrust suit against Microsoft today. Georg Greve, President of FSFE said: "The more Microsoft is able to purchase its opponents' solidarity, the more important FSFE's commitment to freedom and interoperability is." These days, FSFE meets adversaries of freedom in various venues: In Brussels, the 'Intellectual Property Rights European Enforcement Directive' (IPRED2) is being pushed by the rights-holding industry, and Microsoft has shown that it was able to rewrite the Vienna Conclusions on ICT and Creativity for the UN World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
Prime reazioni alle licenze Microsoft Shared Source
"Microsoft finalmente pare aver compiuto un passo avanti nella lunga marcia verso la concessione di libertà ai loro utenti: [...] Microsoft ha dichiarato il Copyleft (e la GNU GPL) 'virale', 'un cancro' e 'comunista', ma ora vedere applicare gli stessi principi alle proprie licenze sembra un'evoluzione positiva.
FSFE urges European Commission to keep defending European economic interests
"We congratulate Microsoft on effective use of their considerable financial resources: First they manage to pay off Sun, then Novell and the CCIA. Now they convinced Real Networks to serve their own head on a silver platter for just US $761 Million"
Statement of FSFE and FSF Latin America to the 2005 WIPO General Assemblies
Not continuing what was begun, or changing from a horse to a mule midstream, as the honored Indian delegate so eloquently put it, would be wasting the time and effort spent on this initiative by all sides, North and South. For this reason we strongly support the notion of letting the IIM process finish what it began.
Annuncio del "GPL Version 3 Development and Publicity Project" (GPLv3)
Stichting NLnet dona 150.000 euro per sostenere le attività del GPLv3
Questo progetto raggrupperà migliaia di organizzazioni, sviluppatori
software e utenti di tutto il mondo, durante il 2006, in uno sforzo per
aggiornare la più famosa delle licenze per il software libero. GPLv3 si
annuncia come una delle più grandi iniziative partecipative di commento
e adozione mai intraprese.
Consegnato il premio "TuxMobil GNU/Linux Award 2005"
Il "TuxMobil GNU/Linux Award 2005" è stato consegnato ai progetti OpenEmbedded, OpenZaurus, PI-Sync, KWlanInfo e BlueZ, come riconoscimento del loro impegno per la libertà degli utenti.
WIPO IIM/3: WSIS PCT: WIPO should prevent software patents, shorten copyright
During the third Inter-Sessional, Inter-Governmental Meeting (IIM) on a Development Agenda (IIM/3), Georg Greve delivered a statement on behalf of the WSIS Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks (PCT) Working Group of Civil Society, in which the working group asked WIPO to proactively prevent software patent legislation on a global level:
Niente brevetti sul software in Europa, chiede un supervisore per l'EPO
Dopo anni di lotta, il Parlamento Europeo alla fine ha rigettato la direttiva sui brevetti software con 648 voti su 680: un segnale forte contro i brevetti sulla logica che è alla base del software, ma anche segno di poca fede nell'Unione Europea e una chiara richiesta all'Ufficio Brevetti Europeo (EPO) affinché cambino la loro politica: l'EPO deve smettere immediatamente di rilasciare brevetti sul software.
Karlsruhe Memorandum against Software Patents 2005
Members of the European Parliament have been given a copy of the Karlsruhe Memorandum against Software Patents 2005. Issued by Free Software Foundation Europe, this memorandum collected more than 200 signatures at this year's GNU/LinuxTag conference in Karlsruhe. Citing scientific evidence, the text argues that software patents in Europe will hurt jobs and innovation. Among the supporters are leaders of some of Europe's biggest trade union groups.
E il palmare della Fellowship-PDA va a...
Giovanni Angoli è il fortunato vincitore del palmare Sharp SL-C1000 sorteggiato durante il GNU/LinuxTag 2005 a Karlsruhe, in Germania. La FSFE si congratula con Giovanni e ringrazia Werner Heuser di Xtops.DE, che ha messo in palio il palmare per sostenere la Fellowship della FSFE!
Un palmare con GNU/Linux per un Fellow fortunato
Xtops.DE ha offerto un palmare che sarà messo in palio il 25 giugno alle 14:00 CEST. Il vincitore sarà sorteggiato tra tutti i Fellow FSFE la cui quota associativa sarà stata ricevuta entro tale data.
Microsoft abuses the good will of Ms. Kroes at the expense of European economy
"Microsoft abuses the good will of Ms. Kroes" - "European Commission is about to enter legal house-to-house fighting!". Comment of the FSFE on the latest Microsoft proposal. "The European Court decided in December 2004 that Microsoft is to publish this information immediately. This proposal, if accepted, will effectively revert the court decision for the most serious competitor of Microsoft in this market."
Brevetti software -- un pericolo per la democrazia
Lettera aperta a Borrell Fontelles, Presidente del Parlamento Europeo. Il sei di luglio, il Parlamento Europeo dovrà decidere in merito alla direttiva sulla brevettabilità del software. Facendo affidamento su termini poco precisi e limiti inefficaci, il testo che il Consiglio ha passato al Parlamento permetterebbe di brevettare gli standard sul software, i metodi commerciali e lo sviluppo di siti web.
E' online la pagina dell'evento GNU/LinuxTag
Mancano meno di tre settimane alla più grossa conferenza sul Software Libero d'Europa, il GNU/LinuxTag a Karlsruhe. FSFE ha predisposto una pagina per raccogliere, elencare e pubblicare informazioni sulle sue attività in tale occasione.
Unisciti alla rivoluzione: internship position at FSFE
"La FSFE è un gran posto dove lavorare, e mi sono goduto quasi ogni giorno passato lì. In poche altre imprese o organizzazioni avrei avuto la possibilità di fare del lavoro utile ed imparare in un contesto internazionale come ho fatto qui. Cogli questa occasione, se puoi."
FSFE: Riepilogo Esecutivo 2003-2005
Il sette maggio 2005 l'assemblea generale di FSFE si è riunita a Vienna, Austria, per rivedere le attività dell'anno passato e pianificare per l'anno a venire. Poiché si era alla fine del secondo periodo elettorale per il comitato esecutivo esteso di FSFE, il comitato ha presentato un altro riepilogo esecutivo biennale.
La Commissione Europea rischia di rovinare il suo operato migliore
Lettera aperta al Commissario Europeo per il Mercato Interno Charlie McCreevy. "La Commissione Europea è al momento coinvolta in una storica causa antitrust contro Microsoft. [...] Sfortunatamente, questo successo solitario rischia di diventare una vittoria inutile".
La FSFE dà il benvenuto alla FSF Latin America
Dopo alcuni mesi di discussione, che hanno coinvolto anche il presidente della FSFE Georg Greve, un gruppo di attivisti del software libero in America Latina ha pubblicato la propria dichiarazione di intenti, per unirsi alla rete globale delle Free Software Foundation.
Dichiarazione FSFE alla WIPO IIM, Ginevra
Dichiarazione allo Inter-Sessional, Inter-Governmental Meeting (IIM), 11-13 Aprile 2005: "Sosteniamo esplicitamente la dichiarazione dei "Friends of Development", affermando che nessuno strumento va promosso senza essere esaminato attentamente. [...] I mattoni essenziali della creatività umana, come l'accesso alla conoscenza e la libertà di partecipare alla società e all'economia devono diventare la norma, non l'eccezione [...]"
I brevetti software minacciano gli standard finanziari internazionali
Lettera aperta alla European Information & Communications Technology Industry Association (EICTA), notoriamente a favore dei brevetti software. "Vorremmo sottolineare come i brevetti software rappresentino una minaccia per gli standard internazionali di rendicontazione finanziaria (International Financial Reporting Standards, IFRS): tutte le idee su cui si basano questi standard vengono implementate sotto forma di software, quindi risulterebbero brevettabili".
Come far rispettare a Microsoft le Autorità Europee
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) e il Samba Team hanno presentato una serie di condizioni che permetterebbero a Microsoft di rispettare la decisione della Corte Europea di Prima Istanza del dicembre 2004.
FSFE aiuterà Microsoft a rimettersi in piedi
Spinta dalla FSFE, la causa antitrust europea contro Microsoft sta riguadagnando importanza. "Aiuteremo la Commissione a rimettere Microsoft in piedi e a farla procedere verso il ristabilimento della concorrenza", afferma il presidente della FSFE Georg Greve.
Le città europee saranno danneggiate dai brevetti software
Lettera aperta a Catherine Parmentier, Amministratore Delegato di EUROCITIES: "Con l'introduzione dei brevetti software, le città Europee dovrebbero essere consapevoli dei costi in drammatico aumento e di una situazione legale sempre più difficile con alti rischi per l'amministrazione."
Unisciti alla Fellowship e proteggi la tua libertà!
"Ci alziamo a proteggere la nostra libertà di dar forma e partecipare a una società digitale che rispetti libertà e privacy". Con questo slogan, la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ha dato il via al programma di Fellowship alla fiera per il Software Libero FOSDEM lo scorso weekend a Bruxelles.
WGIG: disponibili documenti commentati
Il primo febbraio 2005, il Gruppo di Lavoro delle Nazioni Unite sulla Internet Governance (WGIG) ha pubblicato una serie di 20 documenti che concernono la "Internet Governance." Insieme con l'organizzazione associata "Fundacion Via Libre", la Free Software Foundation Europe ha scritto un commento al documento su "Cyber security, cybercrime", che, tra le altre cose, chiede di mettere fuori legge l'arte di ricercare soluzioni eleganti a problemi non ovvi ("hacking"), e al documento sui "Diritti di proprietà intellettuale", che ad esempio richiede di "bilanciare i diritti umani con gli interessi dei detentori di diritti".
Microsoft tenta di eludere le decisioni della Corte Europea
Microsoft ha pubblicato un accordo che permette ai progetti di software libero come SAMBA di usare le informazioni sulle interfacce software, ma impedisce loro di pubblicare il software prodotto come software libero.
TUX&GNU@school: 8va edizione
L'ottava edizione di TUX&GNU@school è disponibile. In questa edizione, Mario Fux presenta GAMGI, Skolelinux e il progetto KDE Edutainment. In futuro, la rubrica verrà pubblicata in cinque lingue (tedesco, inglese, francese, svedese e spagnolo).
I brevetti software danneggiano le banche
Una volta che Basilea II diverrà largamente utilizzato, potrebbe aprirsi una serie di azioni legali per violazioni di brevetti su scala mondiale. Le banche e i loro fornitori di software basato su Basilea II potrebbero divenire oggetto di una azione legale: il rischio è incalcolabile e può condurre a costi legali per molti miliardi di euro.
I brevetti software fanno male alla salute
I brevetti sul software stanno anteponendo il bene della lobby dei brevetti al benessere dei cittadini dell'Europa e del mondo.
A great day for SAMBA, Free Software and Europe
Bo Versterdorf, President of the European Court, has today rejected
Microsoft's appeal to delay execution of the sanctions.
"Those who value freedom and competition have received two nice
christmas gifts this week. First, new EU member Poland does not allow
the introduction of innovation- and job-killer software patents
through the diplomatic back-door. And now the European Court decides
that Microsoft should not get another four years to further harm its
competitors" says Georg Greve, President of the FSFE.
Quanto conta la libertà nella tua vita?
Essendo una organizzazione senza fini di lucro, gran parte di questo lavoro viene svolto da volontari, ma non tutto può essere fatto in questo modo. Lavorare per qualcosa che non ha prezzo, come la libertà, ha un costo. Ecco perché vorremmo convincerti con questa lettera a sostenere il nostro lavoro.
I brevetti software danneggiano il settore elettrico europeo
L'Unione Europea sta considerando di legalizzare i brevetti software in Europa. Anche se questo argomento può sembrare estraneo a ciò di cui lei si occupa ogni giorno, potrebbe essere in futuro la causa di gravi problemi di sicurezza per le infrastrutture elettriche europee.
La FSFE diventa osservatore alla WIPO
Nell'ambito del progetto interno WIPO [1], la FSFE lavorerà per trasformare la WIPO da un'organizzazione orientata unicamente alla monopolizzazione della conoscenza, in una dedicata all'aumento della ricchezza intellettuale dell'intera umanità, attraverso l'uso di strumenti giuridici più flessibili, sostenibili ed efficaci [2].
La libertà non ha prezzo, ma ha un costo!
"Coloro che vogliono vedere ripristinata la libertà di mercato devono sapere che ogni sostegno dato alla FSFE non potrà essere annullato da chi può fare maggiori offerte, come è successo con la CCIA. Questa indipendenza non ha prezzo, ma non è senza costi: la sola cosa che potrebbe fermarci è la mancanza di risorse dovuta alla mancanza di sostegno."
Prima Conferenza sul Software Libero in Alto Adige
Mentre il Software Libero assume sempre maggior importanza in Alto Adige, il "Linux User Group Bolzano-Bozen-Bulsan" [1] ha deciso di estendere l'annuale appuntamento con il Linux Day a una tre giorni, la "South Tyrol Free Software Conference 2004".
Per la FSFE, la battaglia continua
Microsoft ha continuamente cercato di convincere i sostenitori della Commissione Europea nella causa antitrust a ritirare il proprio sostegno alla Commissione, formulando offerte economiche di tipo finanziario. Dopo l'accordo con Sun, è ora la volta di quelli con Novell e CCIA, che hanno deciso di ritirarsi dalla causa.
Un'assicurazione obbligatoria contro i brevetti software è come gettare benzina sul fuoco!
La precedente Commissione Europea (CE) ha intrapreso una campagna per l'introduzione dei brevetti software in Europa, ignorando le informazioni e i fatti che mostrano i rischi che ciò comporterebbe per le economie europee.
Ora è possibile donare con carta di credito attraverso PayPal
Sostenere il lavoro della FSFE è diventato più facile per chi preferisce usare la carta di credito e/o il servizio PayPal.
Assicurare la crescita della ricchezza intellettuale
Dichiarazione comune: "Siamo convinti che nuove risposte talvolta richiedano domande nuove e non una ripetizione più attenta di quelle vecchie. [...] Abbiamo bisogno di una World Intellectual Wealth Organisation (Organizzazione Mondiale della Ricchezza Intellettuale), dedicata alla ricerca e alla promozione di modalità nuove e creative per incoraggiare la produzione e la disseminazione della conoscenza." Per leggere la lista dei firmatari, si veda il link seguente.
Il Gruppo Allianz si troverà in difficoltà a causa dei brevetti software
Avete mai preso in considerazione l'idea di offrire un'assicurazione generale ad un agente di borsa contro la perdita di denaro? Per quanto possa sembrare assurdo, in questo momento la Commissione Europea sta seriamente considerando di adottare una misura equivalente.
MS vs. EU: "Nessun patteggiamento in vista, la FSFE è pronta a combattere"
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) getta dubbi sulle voci insistenti che vorrebbero Microsoft incline a un patteggiamento nel caso antitrust contro la Commissione Europea, che dovrebbe andare in aula nel corso di questa settimana.
Anniversario della decisione del Parlamento Europeo circa la questione dei brevetti software
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) commemora l'anniversario della decisione del Parlamento Europeo circa i brevetti software avvenuta il 24 Settembre 2003. "Il Parlamento votò a favore di un modo restrittivo di rilasciare i brevetti software in Europa. Una decisione saggia, che teneva conto di numerose raccomandazioni da parte di scienziati di tutto il mondo. Per questo motivo vorremmo incoraggiare il Parlamento a mantenere su questo tema un atteggiamento coerente con la propria decisione precedente, resistendo alle pressioni esercitate da alcune lobby.", sottolinea il presidente della FSFE Georg Greve.
FSFE: "I bug di Microsoft la rendono una società con personalità multiple" - "I suoi clienti dovrebbero sapere con chi hanno a che fare!"
Più volte tormentato da continui problemi con virus, worm ed altri bug, il gigante del software Microsoft sembra aver sviluppato personalità multiple. "I suoi clienti dovrebbero porsi qualche domanda a proposito dell'equilibrio del loro business partner" sottolinea Joachim Jakobs, portavoce della Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE).
FSFE piange la scomparsa di Ralf Niemand
L'attivista del Software Libero Ralf Niemand, membro del Wilhelmshaven GNU/Linux User Group, collaboratore del progetto SkoleLinux e volontario della Free Software Foundation Europe è morto a causa di una malattia terminale il 14 Settembre 2004. La sua morte davvero prematura è stata uno shock per tutti coloro che lo conoscevano. Sentiremo la sua mancanza.
Lettera aperta al Primo Ministro Dr. Balkenende
L'Europa dovrebbe conservare un vantaggio competitivo e impedire la legalizzazione dei brevetti software: "Durante il periodo di Presidenza olandese dell'Unione Europea Lei ha la migliore opportunità di iniziare questo processo di revisione delle norme".
Vi presentiamo Guglielmo Tux, la nuova associata alla FSFE
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) e Guglielmo Tux sono fieri di annunciare che Guglielmo Tux, un'organizzazione di Software Libero svizzera, è ufficialmente diventata organizzazione associata alla FSFE.
Donazioni alla FSFE nel Regno Unito
A causa delle consistenti commissioni bancarie per i trasferimenti
internazionali di fondi, risulta troppo oneroso trasferire le picole donazioni
o gli ordini direttamente sul conto della Free Software Foundation
Europe. Per porvi rimedio, nel luglio 2004 la FSFE ha stipulato un accordo
con la l'organizzazione associata del Regno Unito AFFS, per raccogliere le
donazioni e fare dei trasferimenti cumulativi più grandi.
FSFE accetta donazioni attraverso questa semplice interfaccia (sono accettate solo carte bancarie del Regno Unito):
I brevetti sul software non pongono al Software Libero più problemi di quanti ne creino al software proprietario
Reagendo alla decisione della città di Monaco di Baviera di rivedere i propri piani di migrazione verso il Software Libero, la Free Software Foundation Europe precisa che i brevetti sul software sono un problema tanto per il Software Libero quanto per quello proprietario.
Lettera aperta a IBM
"I brevetti software distruggeranno le fondamenta del futuro di IBM":
"Ormai tutti dovrebbero aver capito che una corsa agli armamenti non
produce mai alcunché di buono, se non un'insostenibile e inutile zavorra,
che cresce finché tutti i partecipanti alla corsa, tranne uno, non sono
stati eliminati. Potreste pensare che sarà IBM l'unico sopravvissuto,
e potreste anche aver ragione.
Tuttavia, la sola partecipazione a questa corsa sta lentamente
trasformando IBM: sempre più energie vengono spese in una corsa agli
armamenti che viene messa sempre più spesso in questione."
FSFE sfida Microsoft nel suo appello contro la Commissione Europea
Con la sua decisione antitrust contro Microsoft, la Commissione Europea ha cercato di aiutare la crescita del mercato IT nel miglior modo possibile per i consumatori e i cittadini dell'Unione Europea. Anche se è improbabile che questa decisione possa davvero limitare la posizione dominante, Microsoft sembra preoccupata e ha fatto ricorso in appello presso la Corte Europea. La Free Software Foundation Europe, dopo aver partecipato come parte terza durante la procedura antitrust, ha preso parte all'udienza preliminare tenutasi il 27 Luglio 2004, per sostenere presso la Corte la decisione della Commissione Europea e la libertà di utilizzare il Software Libero SAMBA.
Feed RSS delle notizie ed eventi
Il nostro team web ha attivato i feed RSS per le notizie e gli annunci dei
prossimi eventi. I feed sono personalizzati per ogni area e lingua.
L'URL per il feed delle notizie è
http://www.area.fsfeurope.org/news/news.lingua.rss,
mentre quello per gli eventi è
http://www.area.fsfeurope.org/events/events.lingua.rss.
Ad esempio, le notizie in italiano riguardanti l'area "Italia" si trovano su
http://www.italy.fsfeurope.org/news/news.it.rss.
I link agli URL dei feed RSS sono contenuti anche nelle pagine "Notizie"
ed "Eventi".
Lettera aperta alla Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
"La ricerca dovrebbe riuscire a finanziarsi anche tramite il mercato!" dicono i politici. Così noi, la Free Software Foundation Europe, comprendiamo pienamente i ricercatori che usano modi creativi per aumentare le proprie entrate. Ma anche i ricercatori dovrebbero stare attenti a non "segare il ramo su cui sono seduti": questo rischio è reale, specialmente in relazione al problema attuale dei brevetti software.
FSFE lancia una campagna di raccolta fondi
I progetti della FSFE sono molto vari: far parte della delegazione del governo tedesco al "Summit mondiale sulla società dell'informazione", fornire consulenze all'Unione Europea durante la definizione dei programmi infrastrutturali, partecipare ad AGNULA, un progetto che mira a realizzare una distribuzione basata interamente sul Software Libero per musicisti professionisti e autori di prodotti multimediali, e anche continuare la manutenzione e l'ulteriore sviluppo della GNU General Public License (GPL). Questa varietà di impegni richiede però ingenti risorse finanziare: viaggi in tutto il mondo, produzione di materiale informativo e di marketing, costi per il personale.
Unitevi al nostro gruppo di traduttori e revisori!
Data l'attenzione crescente che la FSF Europe sta riscuotendo in molti
paesi, è giunto il momento di rafforzare il nostro gruppo di traduttori
rendendolo flessibile, veloce e ben coordinato.
Tradurre e revisionare i testi è un modo prezioso di aiutare la FSF Europe
e una buona occasione per prendere parte alle attività dell'associazione senza
doversi assumere impegni a lungo termine.
AGNULA: un "ecosistema vitale" per sviluppatori e utenti di software libero multimediale
"Creare una licenza artistica con la tecnologia Free Software" potrebbe essere il motto di AGNULA (A GNU/Linux Audio distribution - www.agnula.info): all'interno del progetto, di portata Europea, sono state sviluppate due distribuzioni GNU/Linux per Debian e Red Hat specificamante destinate a musicisti professionali e autori multimediali.
Reportage e immagini dal Sud America
Dopo il suo viaggio in Sud America svoltosi dal 20 maggio al 10 giugno 2004, Georg Greve ha pubblicato un breve bilancio delle attività svolte e alcune immagini.
Brevetti software: un brutto giorno per l'Europa
"L'Europa è sul punto di rinunciare definitivamente allo scopo che i suoi capi di stato e di governo si erano dati: diventare entro il 2010 "la regione più competitiva basata sulla conoscenza"; inoltre ha fallito più volte dal punto di vista della democraticità. Sfortunatamente, l'ottimismo e la fiducia che erano stati riposti nel Governo tedesco erano prematuri. Ieri non è stato un bel giorno per l'Europa e per la Germania!"
La FSFE accoglie la chiara posizione del Governo tedesco nella discussione sui brevetti software
La Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) "accoglie l'impegno del Governo Federale della Germania verso la libertà dai brevetti software, che è di estrema importanza per l'innovazione in Europa"; così commenta Georg Greve, presidente della FSFE, in un comunicato stampa.
Lettera aperta a tutti i cittadini europei
Cosa succederà alla politica, alla società, all'economia intera se questo processo non verrà fermato? Impediremo alle persone di essere creative. Metteremo lo sviluppo della società nelle mani di burocrati che ogni volta ci ricatteranno per il loro tornaconto particolare. Per usare le parole del Presidente Ceco Vaclav Klaus "L'Unione Europea non parla di libertà e apertura, ma di burocratizzazione, regolamentazione e armonizzazione". Rischia di avere ragione, se lasciamo questo dibattito nelle mani degli altri.
APRIL si dissocia dalla FSFE
Oggi la Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) ha adempiuto alla esplicita richiesta di rimuovere la "Association for Promotion and Research in Libre Computing" (APRIL) dalla lista delle organizzazioni associate. La richiesta è stata fatta dal presidente di APRIL e membro della FSFE Frederic Couchet, contestualmente alle sue dimissioni dalla FSFE.
Annuncio di una campagna informativa per i media europei
La Free Software Foundation Europe e la Foundation for a Free Informational Infrastructure promuovono una settimana d'azione dal 10 al 17 Maggio per informare i cittadini, l'economia e la politica delle conseguenze pericolose di questa iniziativa. Nel corso di questa settimana d'azione, si terranno dimostrazioni e dibattiti pubblici in molte città Europee. Per informarti in anticipo, abbiamo allegato la posizione congiunta di FSFE e FFII a proposito dei brevetti software (vedi sotto).
La FSFE accoglie tre nuovi membri dall'Austria
Dopo anni di proficua cooperazione in qualità di membri della "Verein zur Förderung Freier Software" (FFS), organizzazione austriaca associata alla FSF Europe, Georg Jakob, Karin Kosina e Reinhard Müller sono ora membri ufficiali della FSFE.
La Free Software Foundation difende la GNU GPL dagli attacchi di SCO
L'organizzazione che protegge il software libero in Europa, la
Free Software Foundation Europe, è certa che la disputa legale fra SCO da
una parte e IBM e Novell dall'altra non tocca gli utenti del sistema
operativo GNU/Linux.
Il professore Eben Moglen della Columbia University, consulente legale
della FSF North America, ha pubblicato un articolo che chiarisce agli
sviluppatori e agli utenti finali le problematiche legali ed i rischi
commerciali dell'uso del kernel Linux.
Articolo: "A proposito di 'Proprietà Intellettuale' e popoli indigeni"
Articolo di Georg Greve:
"Il sistema e l'ideologia della 'proprietà intellettuale' si sono evoluti
per soddisfare esclusivamente le esigenze delle grandi imprese dei media
nel nord del mondo. Le società del nord, in particolare i loro artisti e
autori, hanno enormi problemi con questo sistema già di per sé.
E proprio a causa di questo sistema il divario digitale e le attuali
disuguaglianze di potere sono così ampi."
Debriefing: World Summit on the Information Society
(Ginevra) Dal 10 al 12 Dicembre 2003 si è svolto a Ginevra (Svizzera) il World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), che ha adottato a livello di Nazioni Unite una Dichiarazione di Principi e un Piano di Azione verso la società dell'informazione globale.
WSIS: Software Libero, Società Libera
(Ginevra) Durante il World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), il Gruppo
di lavoro della società civile su brevetti, diritto d'autore, marchi (Patents,
Copyright, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group) terrà il seminario "Free Software,
Free Society", con un gruppo di oratori di rilievo che comprende Richard
Stallman e Lawrence Lessig.
Il seminario avrà luogo il 10 Dicembre 2003 dalle
dalle 17:00 alle 20:00 al Palexpo di Ginevra, Svizzera.
Il Software Libero rappresentato direttamente alla conferenza ONU
(Karlsruhe)
Dal 15 al 18 luglio a Parigi si terrà una conferenza preparatoria per
il "Vertice mondiale sulla società dell'informazione" (World Summit on
the Information Society - WSIS), in cui verranno discussi il futuro e il
destino della società dell'informazione e della scienza, come richiesto
dall'Assemblea Generale dell'ONU.
Nominato dal gruppo di coordinamento della Società Civile Tedesca per il
WSIS, Georg Greve, presidente della FSF Europe, prenderà parte all'incontro
come membro della delegazione governativa tedesca.
La FSF Europe conclude con successo i primi due anni di attività.
(Milano) Lo scorso fine settimana la Free Software Foundation Europe ha tenuto la sua assemblea generale a Milano. Dopo due anni di attività, è stato il momento per tracciare i primi bilanci e indire le elezioni.
Rapporto: executive summary biennale
L'assemblea generale 2003 della FSF Europe che si svolge a Milano (Italia) il 21 Giugno 2003 rappresenta una buona opportunità per ricapitolare brevemente alcune delle attività svolte durante i primi due anni operativi della FSF Europe.
Articolo: il Software Libero in Europa
L'edizione della Primavera 2003 della Public Service Review - European Union, con una prefazione di Romano Prodi ospita un articolo di Georg C. F. Greve, presidente della FSF Europe. L'articolo spiega alcuni dei principali aspetti benefici che il Software Libero offre e come essi possano essere potenziati.
Larry Lessig riceve il Premio della FSF per l'Avanzamento del Software Libero
Comunicato stampa della Free Software Foundation: "Bruxelles, Belgio - Sabato 8 Febbraio 2003 - La Free Software Foundation (FSF) ha conferito oggi il suo quinto Premio per l'Avanzamento del Software Libero. Il Presidente e fondatore della FSF, Richard Stallman, ha consegnato il premio al Professor Lawrence Lessig per aver promosso la comprensione della dimensione politica del software libero, compresa l'idea che "il codice è legge". Lessig ha inoltre proposso idee simili al Software Libero in altri campi correlati."
Rilasciato il Fiduciary Licence Agreement (FLA) V1.0
Comunicato stampa della FSF Europe: "La Free Software Foundation Europe è lieta di annunciare la prima versione pubblicamente disponibile del suo Fiduciary Licence Agreement (FLA); un accordo che aiuterà ad assicurare la stabilità legale del Software Libero, permettendo alla FSF Europe di agire come fiduciario per gli autori e i progetti di Software Libero."
FSF Europe calls for participation
Press-release of the FSF Europe: "The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) invites all companies, organisations and research institutes interested in Free Software projects funded by the European Commission to join their effort."
FFII Associated with FSF Europe
The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) is now an official associate organisation of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). The FFII is the first associate organisation of the FSF Europe based in Germany.
Two Expressions of Interest (EoI) from FSF Europe
In response to a call from the European Commission, the FSF Europe submitted an expression of interest for each of the instruments of the sixth framework programme (FP6).
FSF Europe completes successful first year
On May 26th 2002, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSF Europe) finishes its second general assembly, completing the first year of activities. Members from Sweden, Italy, Germany and France drew a summary of last years activities, analyzed the current situation of Free Software and exchanged plans and visions for the upcoming year.
Recommendation by the FSF Europe and supporting parties
The FSF Europe and supporting parties has submitted a recommendation for the 6th European Community Framework Programme: "Free Software is a concept that has fundamentally changed the way some parts of the IT sector are working towards a more stable, lasting and sustainable approach with higher dynamics and increased efficiency. It is obvious that the first region to adopt and support this principle on a larger scale can profit enormously and get a head-start in the information age."
Invitation to European Copyright Directive Alert miniconference
On Monday 29 April 2002, at 6pm in London, we invite you to join the European Copyright Directive Alert miniconference. Organised by the Campaign for Digital Rights it will explain the dangers of the EUCD. Unless it is stopped before December 2002, it will become legal in each European country.
FSF Europe present at first LiLit meeting
On Friday 26 April 2002, the Free Software Foundation Europe will be present at the first LiLiT meeting in Liège, Belgium. During this evening (night ?-) session, we will focus on the best means to explain the ethical value of Free Software. A global view of the on going actions will hopefully allow everyone to figure out how to promote and defend the Free Software ideals.
FSF Europe at the Free and Open Source Software Developers Meeting
Between the 16th and 17th of February, 2002, the Free and Open Source Software Developers Meeting will take place in Brussels, Belgium. Among the visitors will be Richard M. Stallman, president of the Free Software Foundation and Georg C. F. Greve, president of the Free Software Foundation Europe. The FSF Europe welcomes all members of the press who wish to meet the members and volunteers of the foundation.
ANSOL becomes associated organisation of the FSF Europe
"This collaboration is a very important step for the Portuguese and European free software community. Problems faced by the free software community in Portugal are similar to those faced in other European countries; by joining forces with FSFE we can solve this problems more efficiently" said Jaime Villate, founding member of ANSOL.
"Freedom, Quality and Fraternity" OLinux interview iwth Georg C. F. Greve
"[...] Keep on spreading the word. What we do today will influence the future of mankind for the next 200 years to come - we have to make sure that people understand the issues of Free Software and the importance of freedom. [...] Freedom counts! "
FSF Europe appoints new Vice President
Jonas Oberg was appointed new Vice President of the FSF Europe: "The future of Free Software depends a lot on what we do today. I plan to work to preserve the ability to use and develop Free Software in all of its forms, for example by helping to extend the efforts already underway against software patents and helping the media, government and companies understand the underlying issues of Free Software."
We Speak about Free Software
Launch of the "We speak about Free Software" campaign: There are compelling reasons to think and speak about Free Software and its philosophy. It is rather common knowledge this applies to society as a whole, but it has not yet been widely understood that it benefits companies, as well. Therefore the FSF Europe launches this campaign on behalf and with support of several Free Software companies.
FSF Europe receives charitable status in Germany
FSF Europe e.V. (the central association) receives confirmation of its charitable status in Germany by the authorities.
Georg Greve talks about "Copyright in the internet age"
Slides (in German) available at http://gnuhh.org/work/presentations/IFA-2001/.
Richard Stallman inaugurates Free Software Foundation-India
FSF Europe in German magazine
The FSF Europe is mentioned in the German magazine FOCUS issue 29/2001, page 106 in a story about the GNU/LinuxTag.
FSF Europe at LinuxTag and Libre Software Meeting
The FSF Europe will be present at the LinuxTag and Libre Software Meeting for the first time. Please see the press release for additional information.
FSF Europe general assembly is over
The FSF Europe general assembly is over. See the press release and photos by Olivier Berger and photos by Peter Gerwinski.