[FSFE PR][FR] [FSFE] 40 years of Software Freedom! The GNU project turns forty!

Press FSFE press at fsfe.org
Tue Sep 19 09:43:17 UTC 2023


Hello,

For four decades the Free Software community has been working to empower 
users to control technology and to help our society understand how Free 
Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination.

On 27 September, the Free Software community will celebrate the fortieth 
anniversary of the announcement of the GNU Project. In Europe, the GNU 
Project is celebrating this day with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, 
Switzerland, which will be attended by the President of the Free 
Software Foundation Europe, Matthias Kirschner, among others.

GNU is an operating system made entirely of Free Software to enable 
people to use, understand, adapt, and share software. Usually combined 
with the Linux kernel, GNU forms the backbone of the Internet and now 
powers millions of servers, desktops, and embedded computing devices.

In addition to its technical advances, GNU pioneered the concept of 
"copyleft", best exemplified by the GNU General Public License (GPL).

GNU markedthe start of the software freedom movement. Today it is a 
global and broad movement whose participants range from small local 
enterprises to large global companies, civil society organisations, and 
thousands of professionals working towards a world where the four 
freedoms are guaranteed: users are free to use software and adapt it to 
their needs, and are able to understand and share it. These rights 
support other fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of 
the press, and privacy.

This movement provides important safeguards for democracy. Free Software 
contributes to the interaction and participation of interested 
stakeholders and our society in general, empowering people to use 
software to create solutions to their problems, contributing to the 
creation of trustworthy systems, enabling technology that serves us 
rather than technology that controls us.

At FSFE, we have prepared a Press ReleaseKit for this milestone, 
consisting of:

   * A Press Releasewith background information full of links where you
     can find more information about this topic.

   * Quotes from relevant members of the Free Software community (if you
     need to contact them, let us know so we can give you their contact
     details. They are already aware of thisand have agreed to it).

   * Information about why Free Software is essential to a democratic
     society.

You can find the Press ReleaseKit here: https://download.fsfe.org/GNU40/

Best regards,

*Ana Galán
press at fsfe.org <mailto:press at fsfe.org>**
+49 157 92 34 72 12*


== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==

Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to 
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our 
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than 
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,  
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other 
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.

The FSFE helps individuals and organisations understand how Free 
Software contributes to freedom, transparency and self-determination. We 
enhance users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption, 
encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and provide resources 
to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.

https://fsfe.org
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