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Newsletter

Apple litigation +++ EU funding for Free Software +++ YH4F +++ ZOOOM project

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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.

Collage showing three images in different sizes in round shapes and the FSFE logo. One image has the sentence Next Generation Internet over a EU map in blue, another is the logo of the ZOOOM project and the last one is a drawing of an apple in a green color with a worm inside

Table of contents

Quote of the Month

“The lack of public funding for these important technologies has a negative impact not only on free software, but on the entire future of the internet."

FSFE statement about EC plans to cut funding on Free Software projects in Heise.de

Apple vs EU Commission: the FSFE intervenes to safeguard Free Software

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.

European Commission needs to come up with dedicated budget for Free Software solutions

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.

Spread your concern about Free Software funding

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 long term sustainable funding.

Donate now

YH4F countdown: Time for jury evaluation and new sponsor on board

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.

Read more

Do you also want to contribute to this contest? We are looking for more sponsors! For more information get in contact with us via email.

ZOOOM project: Toolkit and training materials

The FSFE finished its work with the European Commission funded ZOOOM Initiative. The FSFE produced research and educational materials on Free Software legal issues, which contributed to a larger toolkit on Open Software, Data, and Hardware.

Although the project has officially ended, the ZOOOM toolkit and training materials can contribute to promote a healthier ecosystem where Free Software legal and licensing obligations are understood and followed in various digital industries.

Get involved: Why do you support Free Software? Send us your quote

We are updating our testimonials from our diverse community about why they support the FSFE and our mission. We would also love to hear from you! Send us, by the end of September, a short quote and a picture. Find all the testimonies here.

FSFE booth at frOSCon with some of the staffers and volunteers who went there. The image is showing the FSFE booth with 5 white men behind it wearing Free Software t-shirts. The booth has a table with several FSFE stickers, promo material, and an Ada book, and behind the people standing you can see a FSFE banner and two FSFE t-shirts hanging

Conferences: check out the recordings from our talks

Did you miss #FrOSCon? Check out Johannes Näder's talk explaining approaches for better Free Software procurement. [DE]

Our volunteer Berharnd Reiter gave his own personal views in a talk encouraging voluntary payments for Free Software. [DE]

Last May Lucas Lasota and Niharika Singhal participated in DORS/CLUC in Zagreb. Their talks were live-streamed and we have uploaded them in our Peertube instance:

Contribute to our Newsletter

We would love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts, pictures, or news to share, please send them to us at newsletter@fsfe.org. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. We would like to thank our community and all the volunteers, supporters, and donors who make our work possible, with a special mention to our translators who make it possible for you to read this newsletter in your mother tongue.

Your editor,
Ana