Nyhetsarkiv
15 May 2025
As a general rule, software source code is protected
by copyright by default. Copyright holders create Free Software by
applying a Free Software license to their code. Creative works,
such as source code, nevertheless must
be sufficiently original in nature before they can be protected by
copyright. Exactly what is this “threshold of originality”, and are
there types of code that are not automatically
protected by copyright?
06 May 2025
In April, our work on Device Neutrality continued with news and
meetings on DMA; we had a PMPC meeting in Germany and talked about the
German coalition agreement in one of our Podcast episodes; we also held
our annual Legal & Licensing Workshop; and we published another
article in our Legal Corner.
29 April 2025
A new release of the Webpreview tool is here! This is our in-house Free
Software preview tool for FSFE webpages. It supports our amazing
volunteers in translating, and checking website content. Our latest
update integrates LibreTranslate, providing a helpful starting point to
speed up the translation process.
24 April 2025
The Free Software
Legal & Licensing Workshop convened once again, this time in Essen,
bringing together over 100 legal and compliance
professionals, technologists, and policy experts from across the globe.
The 2025 edition delved into the evolving
legal landscapes impacting Free Software, with a particular focus on
Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity.
23 April 2025
Recently, the German coalition treaty from the CDU/CSU and SPD has been published with over 140 pages.
In our latest episode Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring talk about the coalition treaty and break down
the standing of Free Software in it.
17 April 2025
Youth Hacking 4 Freedom would not be possible without the amazing
teenagers who join this contest, our incredible sponsors and donors,
whose support is vital, and our expert jury, who evaluate the projects.
One of these jury members is Brielen Madureira, who talked with us
before the participants have to submit their projects.
09 April 2025
The FSFE symposium on “Public Money? Public Code!“ makes it clear: Procurement of and investment in Free Software (also known as Open Source) are fundamental for innovation and digital sovereignty.
Only Free Software can reduce the dependencies of public administration.
07 April 2025
Software is a major component of modern life, affecting large parts of
our lives. When software is embedded in vehicles, the ability to control
our digital technology becomes even more important in the name of public
safety. Despite that, a recent court case in Poland highlights how the
law, and legal processes, can sometimes work against that.
03 April 2025
Despite initial promising steps, the European Commission’s measures on Apple’s compliance with interoperability procedures under the Digital Markets Act fall short. The less stringent obligations on API documentation and long deadlines for interoperability solutions will impact how Free Software projects get interoperability from Apple.
02 April 2025
On the afternoon of 3 April, Maarten Aertsen (NLnet Labs)
will give a presentation on how the Cyber Resilience Act addresses Free
Software, particularly in comparison to other New Legislative Framework
(NLF)-style regulations in various sectors
02 April 2025
Spring is here, and so is our monthly newsletter! We want to take
this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your continued support and
generous donations. In this issue, we bring you the latest updates on
the DMA, a special podcast episode on Router Freedom, highlights from
our talks at Chemnitzer Linux Tag, exciting Ada news, and much more.
31 March 2025
The Italian regulator AGCOM will decide whether to limit or consolidate
Router Freedom in the country. The FSFE has
actively engaged in a coalition of organisations urging the authority to
prioritize consumer protection and the rights of end-users to use their
own routers/modems in fiber networks.
27 March 2025
Have you ever used your personal router to connect to the internet? Recently we achieved a major win in Germany for Router Freedom. In this 32nd episode of the
Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring, Alexander Sander, and Lucas Lasota talk about Router Freedom and our work to protect freedom of choice regarding internet devices.
17 March 2025
Thanks to our supporters and volunteers, the inspiring story
of Ada & Zangemann has been translated into several languages! While we work, and gather funds, to publish the book and the animated movie in even more languages, we need your help: share the movie with your friends and post it around! The book is also a perfect gift for local libraries and schools.
13 March 2025
The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is officially underway. While this edition’s
participants work on their own Free Software projects, we sat down with
Aya, a YH4F 2024 contestant. She shared her inspiring journey
from her first programming experience to creating a project for YH4F. Learn more about her story, and remember: you
can still take part in this year’s competition!
10 March 2025
Free Software is indispensable for public authorities to overcome
dependencies and achieve technological sovereignty. Therefore, the need
of the hour is "Public Money? Public Code!" The Free Software Foundation
Europe's symposium in Essen on 08 April 2025 will open up practical
perspectives on how administrations can move forward in this
direction.
06 March 2025
On 24 March the FSFE will conduct an online Q&A session about the
Digital Markets Act and its importance for representatives of Free
Software organisations. The DMA was designed to limit the power of the
"gatekeepers" and boost fairer digital markets. But what does its
enforcement mean for Free Software? Join us for this strategic
discussion.
04 March 2025
In the last few weeks we published our first Legal Corner article and
the recordings of our talks at FOSDEM. We were happy to see pictures
from the I Love Free Software Day celebrations and can't wait to meet
you at CLT 2025! We are organising an online Q&A session about the
DMA and Free Software. The Ada movie is finally available in Spanish!
28 February 2025
In the week of the 14th of February we celebrated the I Love Free Software Day 2025. This year we marked this special day with 19 events in 11 different European countries.
Even more, hundreds of people and many organisations joined us in the Fediverse - with a special "Thank you!" note for Free Software projects and contributors. To all who joined us
this time: "Thank you" for participating in this 15th edition of the "I Love Free Software Day" ❤️❤️❤️!
27 February 2025
In our 31st episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring discuss the highlights of the two Devrooms that the FSFE co-organized during FOSDEM 2025:
the 'Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom' and the 'Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom'. Find out more about the topics discussed there and tips about what to re-watch.
20 February 2025
Some ocassions are too special to miss, like the FSFE February trip to FOSDEM,
where we connected with the Free Software community. Even when things
don’t go as planned, it was an energizing boost against the winter
blues. Thanks to everyone who joined our DevRooms, attended our talks
including our keynote on the Apple litigation, came to our women's
breakfast, and stopped at the booth. Your support means a lot!
17 February 2025
If your software project operates on multiple contributions, and a contributor
becomes uncontactable or passes away, this can become an issue in
certain situations. Here we’ll discuss when a missing or deceased
contributor affects your software project, and what options you
have.
14 February 2025
At FOSDEM, Bonnie Mehring and Marc Prud'hommeaux met to talk about Marc's Free Software initiative, The App Fair Project. This project is a marketplace for all
devices and especially also for iOS devices that only distributes Free Software applications. Its goal is to foster a more accessible and inclusive Free Software ecosystem.
12 February 2025
February started with FOSDEM! It was great to meet some of you there
before we meet again for “I Love Free
Software Day”! In recent weeks, we shared our demands for
the coming German elections, great news about Router Freedom, and an
update about DMA. Moreover, the Ada movie is now available in French
and we published two podcast episodes.
06 February 2025
The next German government must finally push for the
controllability, security, and sovereignty of the public digital
infrastructure. As Free Software is a prerequisite for this, the FSFE
is making 4 key demands: "Public Money? Public Code!", securing long-term
funding for Free Software, deepening Free Software knowledge in
administrations, and monitoring progress.
30 January 2025
For our 29th episode we have something very special for you. Marta Andreoli, the Italian deputy coordinator, talks to Paolo Dongilli about the FUSS project. Together they unravel
how FUSS is helping the schools in South Tyrol take a step towards software freedom.
27 January 2025
FOSDEM 2025 is almost here, and guess what? We want you to be, once
again, part of it! Mark your calendars for 1 and 2 February 2025. The
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) will be there with a keynote on
our Apple court case, talks, devrooms, workshops, and of course, a booth
where you can meet us, chat and share ideas. Stop by and say hello!
24 January 2025
After a failed attempt by internet providers to exclude Router Freedom
from fiber networks, the German regulator BNetzA has confirmed Router
Freedom in the country. The FSFE, which has been pushing for this since
2013, will continue to monitor implementation and compliance.
22 January 2025
FOSDEM, Europe's largest Free Software conference, is just around the corner! In this episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring and Alexander Sander discuss
the two DevRooms organised by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). Learn all about the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom and the Funding the FOSS Ecosystem DevRoom.
21 January 2025
The Free Software Foundation Europe is releasing the animated film ‘Ada
& Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice
Cream’ in French as an Open Educational Resource. Originally a highly
successful illustrated book, now available in 10 languages and counting,
the story has been adapted into a film that can be freely used in
schools.
20 January 2025
Last week six Dutch civic organisations launched the campaign
‘Make Socials Social Again’. They call upon public
organisations to adopt social media platforms that respect public values
and thus are the real ‘social’ platforms.
16 January 2025
The Free Software Foundation Europe, alongside civil society
organizations, developers and researchers, submitted its position to the
European Commission’s public consultation on measures requiring Apple to
ensure compliance with the Digital Markets Act’s interoperability
provisions. The FSFE stressed the urgent need for Apple to provide effective,
free-of-charge interoperability.
15 January 2025
Ready for I Love Free Software Day 2025? At this annual event on 14
February the FSFE and other Free Software enthusiasts celebrate all the
contributors to Free Software. It is a day dedicated to recognising and
appreciating all the work done for Free Software projects, big or
small.
14 January 2025
The new year has begun, offering 365 days to promote Free Software! As we prepare
for FOSDEM and continue working on the DMA implementation, we are excited
to launch the fourth edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom. We
closed 2024 sharing our predictions for 2048 and taking part in the Chaos Communication
Congress.
10 January 2025
The Free Software Foundation
Europe, along with over sixteen thousand attendees, took part in the
38th Chaos Communication Congress with a booth, several talks and a lot
of stickers. It was a great pleasure to join, once again, the Chaos
family for another impressive four-day congress. Thank you all for
coming!
07 January 2025
The fourth round of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is
officially underway, with its opening event on 9 January. Sofía, one of
the 2024 winners, gives us an insight into her project, how she came up
with her idea, and her experience of the competition in general. Find
out more! And do not forget to register for this
edition!
03 January 2025
"What will happen in the movement for software freedom in 2025? It is
hard for me to make such predictions. What the past 20 years working for
the Free Software Foundation Europe have taught me is to be prepared for
the things you cannot predict." - Below a message from our
president Matthias Kirschner to our readers.
31 December 2024
The ZOOOM (3Os) Initiative
promotes innovation based on freedom of software,
hardware, and data. With its recent conclusion, the FSFE hopes to
inspire broader use and effective application of Free Software by
business, academia, and the public sector.
23 December 2024
The 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3), taking place in
Hamburg from December 27 to 30, 2024. And we couldn’t miss it! Once
again, the FSFE will be at the congress with an assembly and different
activities in the Bits & Bäume Habitat. Do not forget to stop by!
19 December 2024
Alexander Sander, the FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, and Bonnie Mehring meet for their monthly update on the current policy topics. In this episode they talk about the Free Software hearing in the German Bundestag.
11 December 2024
The 3rd edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) has officially
concluded, celebrating the impressive talents of young European
developers. Two of the participants in the 2024 edition are sharing
insights about their projects and experiences: Vinícius developed an
automatic telescope while Simon worked on bringing Free Software on the
SHC devices.
03 December 2024
As the last month of the year rolls in, thoughts of 2025 are already
taking shape. But before we dive into the new year, December is packed
with news! We are participating in a hearing at the German Parliament,
we keep pushing for long-term funding for Free Software, new versions of
REUSE Specification and REUSE tools were released, and more!
21 November 2024
We are excited to announce that the Legal and Policy Issues DevRoom will be returning for FOSDEM 2025! Join this DevRoom at the biggest annual Free Software event in Europe. This is your opportunity to submit proposals for a talk or a panel about Free Software legal and policy topics.
19 November 2024
Join this new episode of our Software Freedom podcast in which Bonnie Mehring and Alexander Sander discussing current topics affecting Free Software in the European Union. In this episode we focus on the 27 million euros cut of funding of the Next Generation Internet initiative (known as NGI). Alex and Bonnie shed some light on the history of this European project and share the newest developments in this case.
14 November 2024
REUSE Specification 3.3 and REUSE tool 5.0.0 are released today, making
it even easier to license your code as Free Software. REUSE provides all
the tools and documentation that developers need to apply
standards-compliant and comprehensive licensing information to their
projects, without needing to be a legal expert.
13 November 2024
The FSFE called on the community to participate in a consultation on the
European Union’s Digital Europe Programme and demanded long-term
sustainable funding for Free Software after recent budget cuts. Results
show its success.
08 November 2024
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and Linux User Group
Bolzano-Bozen (LUGBZ) posthumously honored Bram Moolenaar, creator of
the widely used Vim text editor, with the European SFS Award at SFSCON
2024. This award celebrates Moolenaar’s invaluable contributions to the
Free Software community.
05 November 2024
It's November and our team heads to Bolzano for SFSCON, still thrilled by the
inspiring 2024 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom award ceremony! Last weeks we’ve also
launched a new page to keep you updated on the latest developments in
our involvement with the Apple vs. EC litigation. Find out the latest updates on
Router Freedom, REUSE and more!
01 November 2024
We are excited to be back for the South Tyrol Free Software
Conference (SFSCON) on 8 and 9 November with talks, workshops and a booth! SFSCON is the place to be if
you’re passionate about Free Software and want to dive into discussions on key topics, including the need for sustainable, long-term funding for Free Software projects. Come to Bolzano to learn, connect, and be inspired!.
27 October 2024
The six winning projects, developed by young people aged between 14 and 18 and presented at the 2024
award ceremony are: a federated social network, an app to help
dementia patients, software for finding events and connecting with people in
your area, a unique rhythm game, and a WebApp for sharing sheets of music and
lyrics.
16 October 2024
In 2018 Italy implemented Router Freedom. However regulatory decisions in
2019 and 2023 introduced exceptions for fiber networks. The Free Software
Foundation Europe has now urged Italy’s telecom regulator,
AGCOM, to remove these restrictions and fully restore users' rights to choose
their own equipment to connect to fiber networks.
09 October 2024
The story of Ada & Zangemann is now available as an animated movie!
We’d also like to thank everyone who contributed feedback to the EC
consultation, urging European policymakers to establish long-term
sustainable funding for Free Software Additionally, we’ve submitted our
arguments in the ongoing Apple litigation. And great news, our hoodies
are back!
02 October 2024
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is celebrating Ada Lovelace
Day on October 8 with a special event for its supporters: the global
English premiere of the animated film 'Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of
Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream'. Originally a highly
successful illustrated book, now available in 10 languages and counting,
the story has been adapted into a film and is licensed as an open
educational resource.
20 September 2024
In 2024, we continued to promote software freedom through our presence
at conferences and events across Europe, as well as through our various
activities and initiatives. Despite our ongoing financial challenges, we
have actively raised our voice in defence of Device Neutrality and are
advocating for a dedicated Free Software budget in Europe.
11 September 2024
In the wake of the recent €27 million cut in the NGI funding, the
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is responding to growing
concern by participating in a public consultation of the European
Commission. The FSFE is stressing the urgent need for sustainable,
long-term financial support for Free Software to ensure Europe's
technological independence.
11 September 2024
The European Commission has cut important funds for Free Software.
The non-transparent decision shows the need for sustainable long-term
funding to allow the EU to control its own technology. Raise your
voice and take part in an ongoing consultation to ask for sustainable
long-term funds for software freedom. We explain why and how.
03 September 2024
September is here, along with our newsletter. We have continued
advocating for a Free Software budget in Europe, following the European
Commission's decision to stop NGI funding, and we are intervening in
Apple's lawsuit against the European Commission. YH4F got a new sponsor
and its 2024 edition is in the final stage, and the ZOOOM project
ended.
28 August 2024
Are you also worried and concerned about the European Commission
decision to cut the funding for Free Software projects? Besides
contacting European representatives you can also write a letter to the
editor of your local newspaper to make their readers aware of the
importance of funding Free Software solutions with a long term
sustainable funding.
13 August 2024
The FSFE’s hacking competition for young Europeans successfully
concluded its six-month programming period on 30 June, with the
submission of the participants’ projects. Now, it's the jury's turn to
evaluate the work of the participants. We are also happy to announce a
new sponsor for the contest, OpenSSF.
12 August 2024
The Free Software Foundation Europe is intervening in litigation
brought by Apple against the European Commission before the Court of
Justice of the European Union. Apple is seeking to avoid DMA obligations
related to its App Store and the interoperability of its operating
system. The FSFE aims to protect Free Software against monopolistic
corporate control.
09 August 2024
The Free Software Foundation Europe is intervening in a litigation
brought by Apple against the European Commission before the Court of
Justice of the European Union. The case relates to Digital Markets Act,
with Apple seeking to avoid obligations related to its App Store and
the interoperability of its operating systems. The FSFE aims to hold
Apple accountable under the DMA to protect Free Software against
monopolistic corporate control.
08 August 2024
After the recent news that funding for the Next Generation Internet
initiative would be cut for the next phase of Horizon Europe, the
European Commission has expressed vague support for Free Software.
Unfortunately it is failing to provide concrete
examples on how to do so. This has highlighted the fragility
of funding for Software Freedom and the need for change in the
long-term.
06 August 2024
The EC is planning to cut its funding to
NGI projects, while in Belgium a court has supported end-users’
Router Freedom rights. We also submitted feedback on the NIS2
implementation; learnt about Linqa, a Free Software platform developed
with public money; and gathered with volunteers at the Summer Meeting.
Listen to our new SFP episode.
26 July 2024
Linqa is a bilingual collaboration platform whose code is Free Software
and developed using public money. It helps the daily work of the
Franco-German Forum
for the Future, a public institution that fosters collaboration among
actors in France and Germany. We dive into the roots of Linqa with the
people behind it.
19 July 2024
The Next Generation Internet initiative has supported Free Software
projects with funding and technical assistance since 2018. Despite its
proven success, the European Commission made the decision to cut this
funding in the current draft for the Horizon Europe 2025 Work
Programme. This decision highlights the larger problem of the lack of
motivated and sustainable public funding for Free Software projects.
15 July 2024
Together with NLnet Labs and the Open Source Security Foundation,
the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) submitted feedback on the
NIS2 implementation act, pointing to the need of protecting the
European Free Software ecosystem.
09 July 2024
In an historic ruling within the EU, a Belgian court has upheld
the decision of the country’s regulator to introduce Router Freedom
for fiber networks. The objections, raised by a local internet service
provider, were deemed unfounded. This landmark decision represents a
significant victory for consumer rights, and we urge other national
regulators to follow this example.
04 July 2024
For our 25th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we are happy to welcome Hannes Mehnert, one of the MirageOS core developer. Matthias Kirschner, president of the FSFE, and Hannes talk about MirageOS. This episode gives an overview of everything from the basics to the future of MirageOS.
02 July 2024
The July issue is full of news! We continue to monitor and raise
our concerns about DMA compliance. We call upon the EU to use Free
Software for its digital infrastructure and are asking for your
experiences with openwashing. And we also bring you updates on REUSE,
YH4F, Ada & Zangemann...
01 July 2024
The FSFE calls upon the European Commission to use Free Software to
ensure a secure and resilient digital infrastructure. Software freedom
will also benefit the economy, civil society and
democracy.
28 June 2024
After six months of programming there are only a few days left until the
end of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2024. We are very excited to see this
year's projects and to learn more about the participants and their work
during the past months. Before we dive into the new projects, let us
take a deeper look at last year's winner, Davide Rorato.
27 June 2024
Together with nine stakeholders organisations, the FSFE has
submitted a joint position paper to the European Commission, with whom
we are working on the implementation of the Digital Markets Act. This
paper, supported by legal and data-backed arguments, addresses Apple’s
non-compliance with the law, particularly concerning software freedom,
alternative Free Software app stores and interoperability
obligations.
20 June 2024
REUSE helps make a project's licensing and copyright status more
transparent, ensure that third-party code is properly attributed, and
make the project's code easily reusable. This tool is currently used
worldwide and its specification has been adopted by several corporate
and institutional projects. We spoke to Matija Šuklje of Liferay
International, one of the companies that has adopted REUSE.
10 June 2024
We got an email, a few weeks ago, that caught our attention. It came
with a donation explaining that it was made in the name of an employee
network at SUSE. We decided to investigate, asked the people
responsible, and today we want to share this awesome story with you.
(Note - this is also a great idea for an initiative to ask your company
about).
04 June 2024
In this issue, we explain our plans to make a movie of the story of Ada
& Zangemann and we are asking for your support. A new REUSE version
released; read the FSFE opinion to the European Commission on
Apple’s new strategy to comply with DMA and its impact on Free Software.
30 May 2024
EU elections debate: FSFE Netherlands coordinator adds voice for Free Software to Amsterdam's digital city debate. Now it's your chance to highlight the importance of Free Software in the lead-up to the upcoming European Elections next week.
15 May 2024
What do a Prime Minister, an MIT professor, and a child from Rajasthan
have in common? They, along with other public figures and thousands of
children, love the illustrated book 'Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of
Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream'. Ada has already made it
into homes and libraries around the world, and now she needs your help
to reach even more kids! Help us make a film of this story to spark more
kids’ interest in coding and tinkering!
08 May 2024
May comes with legal news such as the Legal & Licensing Workshop and
the Bitcoin lawsuit regarding the liability of Free Software developers.
We also talked to two 2023 YH4F participants and our Danish local group
sent an Open Letter to their parliament. Did you see that Ada &
Zangemann won a prize and that the French ebook version is now
available?
06 May 2024
For the second year in a row, the Swedish city of Gothenburg hosted an
edition of the Free Software Legal & Licensing Workshop (LLW), the
annual conference for Legal Network members. The 2024 edition brought
new faces and great discussions and presentations on current legal and
licensing issues related to technological developments such as AI.
30 April 2024
Find out more about the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants of the 2023
edition. We are continuing this series talking with Antoni and Tobias:
Antoni developed a dictionary to preserve endangered languages, and
Tobias conceived a rich featured calendar.
17 April 2024
Free Software is everywhere, with studies estimating that it is
present in about 96% of the applications that we use. But what are the responsibilities and
liabilities of the Free Software developers? A potential threat to Free
Software developers looms in the form of an ongoing lawsuit in the UK
involving Bitcoin and its core developers.
02 April 2024
Last month, the DMA came into force and we launched a website about
Device Neutrality, the EU parliament voted the CRA and the PLD, and we
released a guide to get active for the upcoming EU elections. Check out
the videos from the devrooms we joined at FOSDEM!
21 March 2024
European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to
choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the
campaign heats up, it is important to get active and ensure Software
Freedom is part of the larger political debate. How can you do this?
Find practical advice on how to advocate for Free Software in the coming
months!
18 March 2024
Once again we co-organised our now well-known Legal & Policy Issues Devroom during FOSDEM 2024. The discussions in this track covered important issues for Software Freedom, such as CRA, RHEL, GPL termination, where discussed. Thanks to everyone who participated in it!
18 March 2024
The FSFE helped to organise a FOSDEM devroom about Free Software in the European legislative landscape. It was the first time that this devroom was held and got a lot of interest from the community, that engaged in fruitful discussions about current EU policy topics.
12 March 2024
With today's votes on CRA and PLD on the introduction of liability rules
for software, a broad exception for Free Software was made, so that
after long and intense debates individual developers and non for profit
work are safeguarded.
07 March 2024
As the Digital Markets Act comes into effect today, Device
Neutrality starts to become a tangible reality in the European Union.
While acknowledging the new law, the FSFE alerts that this is only the first
step and further commitment is necessary.
05 March 2024
Our March newsletter is here! Last month took us to FOSDEM, while ‘I
Love Free Software Day’ was celebrated all over Europe. We also launched
a new SFP episode on the state of Free Software and a discussion on
banking and Software Freedom. Check out some interesting reading and
event recommendations!
01 March 2024
At the beginning of February, FSFE volunteers and staffers went back to
Brussels to take part in FOSDEM 2024 with a booth and talks. While for
some of us this has become an awesome yearly experience, it was the
first time for others. Thanks to everyone who came to FOSDEM, visited
our booth for a nice chat, and joined us during our social events!
26 February 2024
Together with hundreds of people and several organisations, we have
celebrated another "I Love Free Software Day" on 14 February! On this
day, we reached out to Free Software contributors to say Thank you! To
all who joined us this time: Thank you for participating in this 14th
edition of the "I Love Free Software Day" ❤️❤️❤️!
14 February 2024
Have there been any changes for Free Software in Europe or the USA in the last year? How is Free Software viewed by legislators? What can we do to support software freedom? Karen Sandler and Alexander Sander are active in the Free Software movement and share their views on the current status of Free Software in our society.
13 February 2024
Once again, FOSDEM did not disappoint! Meeting the Free Software community in Brussels is always one of the best moments of the year! And just before we meet again to celebrate I Love Free Software Day with the news of the Interoperable Europe Act being adopted! This newsletter also includes our first interviews with 2023 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants… and more!
08 February 2024
On 14 February, Free Software communities around the world gather to celebrate developers, maintainers, and contributors of Free Software projects. Take part in one of the many events across Europe that celebrate this day!
06 February 2024
Today the Interoperable Europe Act has been adopted in plenary with 524 votes in favour, 18 against and 97 abstentions. Although some of the potential of the regulation got undermined, the Act as a whole is an important opportunity for Free Software and its community to contribute to an interoperable Europe. The FSFE will closely monitor its implementation.
30 January 2024
It is that time of the year again. FOSDEM will take place in Brussels on
3 and 4 February 2024. The Free Software Foundation Europe will be there
with most of its staff and some of our volunteers! Are you planning to
attend? If so, come meet us at our booth!
26 January 2024
Find out more about the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom participants of the 2023 edition. We are starting this series talking with Jannes and Aaron: both worked on projects related to school education, and it is particularly interesting to see how these two projects approached different aspects with a similar spirit.
22 January 2024
In the framework of the ITS Academy LAST project, the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Edulife Foundation, the operational partner of ITS Academy LAST, have developed a two-year agreement to deliver educational content to students about Free Software legal aspects, policy and public awareness.
17 January 2024
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Zero consortium, of which the FSFE is a
partner, has just unveiled the NGI0 Commons Fund. This new public fund
will award 21.6 million euro to small and medium R&D projects
developing Free Software technologies that can improve the Internet.
16 January 2024
We are starting 2024 with a lot of energy, looking for a policy intern
and with great news: two new SFP episodes, the Router Freedom tech wiki,
the ‘Ada & Zangemann’ ebook is free of charge in French, and we are looking
forward to celebrating ‘I Love Free Software Day’ on 14 February!
11 January 2024
The Free Software Foundation Europe, along with more than 10.000 hackers, took part in the 37th Chaos Communication Congress. It was a great pleasure to be back in Hamburg and to join the Chaos family for another amazing four-day congress. Thank you all for coming and participating in the Chaos!
09 January 2024
Every year, on 14 February, the FSFE, together with Free Software organisations around the globe, celebrates “I Love Free Software Day”: a special day of appreciation to all the contributors to Free Software projects, large or small.
25 December 2023
These days are quite special, right? So is our Christmas Software Freedom Podcast episode! In this 23rd episode, the FSFE goes crazy and has fun playing a guessing game with terms related to Free Software. This is the perfect episode for you to learn more about your favourite type of software: Free Software!
30 November 2023
In our 22nd Software Freedom Podcast episode, we talk with Johannes Näder, Senior Policy Project Manager at the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), about "Public Money? Public Code!".
28 July 2023
Listen to our new Software Freedom Podcast episode with Lina Ceballos. Lina and Bonnie talk about everything related to Free Software in European Politics. Learn more about Lina's work at the Free Software Foundation Europe and how political decisions come to pass in the EU. Discover how best to advocate for Free Software, and especially, what the Interoperable Europe Act is all about and why the Free Software communities need to be on the lookout for the protection of software freedom.
21 April 2023
Join us for the 20th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, where
Bonnie Mehring and Lucas Lasota discuss Device Neutrality and Router
Freedom. They cover the concepts and fundamentals of these
initiatives and explain why end-users should have control over their
devices.
14 February 2023
For this episode Bonnie Mehring met with Karen Sandler to talk about
her relationship with Free Software. Karen depends on a medical device
to keep her heart working. This led her to become an advocate for
Free Software in medical devices.
22 December 2022
A cryptographer and privacy specialist Amandine Jambert, a.k.a. Cryptie, is our guest in the 18th Software Freedom Podcast episode.
With her experience, Cryptie is the perfect person to tackle some basics about Security in Free Software.
27 October 2022
In this 17th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast Matthias Kirschner and Petter Joelson uncover how Free Software can be a tool for citizens to actively participate in their local community. Petter invites you into the world of Decidim and explains what citizen participation should look like.
09 September 2022
In this episode of the Software Freedom Podcast, Bonnie Mehring speaks with Hugo Roy about his long involvement with the FSFE. Hugo is also very active in the French Free Software community and gives us an overview of the standing of Free Software in France.
17 June 2022
In November 2021 the FSFE has launched the new campaign "Upcycling Android". If you haven't already upcycled your phone or you are curious to learn more about the campaign listen to our new Software Freedom Podcast episode with the campaigns manager Erik Albers.
22 March 2022
With this episode the Software Freedom Podcast opens the door to the fascinating and sometimes complex world of mesh networking. And who better than Elektra Wagenrad can take us on this journey? Elektra is one of the original developers of the B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol and of the Mesh Potato project.
27 January 2022
The upcoming "I Love Free Software Day" will focus on Free Software Games. One of the most famous Free Software games is "0 A.D.: Empires Ascendant". In this episode Bonnie Mehring talks with Stanislas Dolcini, the project leader of 0 A.D., about the game itself, the project, and how the game became Free Software.
22 September 2021
With our 12th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we dig into the
history and the beginning of enforcing Free Software licences, especially
the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL). Together with Till Jaeger, who has
been working alongside Harald Welte for enforcing the GNU GPL in the first
court cases in Germany, we talk about the long way we have come since those
early days.
02 July 2021
Max Mehl and Bonnie Mehring talk about the REUSE initiative and the newly launched REUSE Booster programme. This 11th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast is the perfect match for you if you are interested in Free Software licensing and curious about how REUSE and its tools make that easier for developers and users.
07 April 2021
In our 10th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we talk with Elisa Lindinger from Superrr Lab. Together we discuss problems faced by Free Software projects and how to tackle them. In a broader frame we discover what would be needed for a more sustainable digital infrastructure and talk about the work Elisa does for this aim.
11 February 2021
For this episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we talk about the background of the "I Love Free Software Day" and how it all began 11 years ago. Discover together with Bonnie Mehring why Free Software developers, advocates, activists and contributors think this special day is so important for Free Software.
04 December 2020
In this Software Freedom Podcast episode Bonnie Mehring and Matthias Kirschner talk about the monetary costs of Free Software. On the example of a conversation Bonnie had with her mother, both discover ways of explaining the world of Free Software and how to answer common questions and misunderstandings about software freedom.
25 September 2020
For the seventh episode of our Software Freedom Podcast we talk with Vincent Lequertier about transparency, fairness, and accessibility as crucial criteria for artificial intelligence (AI) and why it is important for our society to release AI software under a Free Software license.
03 July 2020
We invited Miriam Ballhausen to talk with us about copyright enforcement. She is a German lawyer who focuses on software, data protection, copyright law and specifically Free Software copyright. This is the sixth regular episode of the Software Freedom Podcast for which we invite experts from our community.
24 April 2020
For our Software Freedom Podcast we talk with people who have inspiring ideas about software freedom. In this special episode, we talk with Dr. Luis Falcón and Dr. Axel Braun about the Free health and hospital information system GNU Health.
09 April 2020
For our Software Freedom Podcast we talk with people who have inspiring ideas about software freedom. In this episode, we talk with Professor Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons, about regulation of society, offline as well as online, about the different means of regulation, and shed light on regulations through code.
21 January 2020
In the monthly Software Freedom Podcast we talk with people who have inspiring ideas about software freedom. In this episode, we talk with Carmen Bianca Bakker about the REUSE project. By this we are covering the very broad topic of software licensing and the problems there, which REUSE is able to solve with three simple steps.
20 December 2019
Once a month, we talk with people who have inspiring ideas about software freedom. In this third episode, our guest is Harald Welte, Free Software programmer and activist. Harald discusses with us his current projects regarding mobile phone communication and the general status of Free Software in this area.
12 November 2019
We are back with the second episode of our Software Freedom Podcast!
Once a month, we talk with people who have inspiring ideas about
software freedom. In this episode, we talk with Lydia Pintscher from
KDE about the development of the KDE community, the different KDE projects
and the issues they will be tackling over the next two years.
12 October 2019
We have a Podcast! Starting with this episode, we will talk once a
month with people who have inspiring ideas about software freedom. In
our first episode of our Software Freedom Podcast, we address the
issue of Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) together with Cory
Doctorow, a British-Canadian writer, political activist, and
co-editor of the blog boingboing.net. Cory Doctorow is a prominent
supporter of software freedom and a less restrictive copyright law.
His books are published under Creative Commons licenses.