= Italian consumers shouldn’t have to pay for software they don’t want – Letter to Regulators =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20141017-02.sv.html ]
FSFE and Italian consumer association ADUC, along with Italian group
ILS, are asking regulators to take concrete steps to protect Italians
from being forced to pay for software they do not want or need. Italy’s
High Court ruled in September[1] that computer vendors must reimburse
customers for the price of unwanted non-free software that comes pre-
installed on PCs and laptops. Today, FSFE, ADUC and ILS have sent a
letter to the Italian competition authorities[2], calling on them to
ensure that vendors will comply with the High Court’s decision, and
respect the rights of their customers.
“Vendors can’t rightfully ask consumers to jump through hoops in
order to enjoy their legal rights, and the authorities have a duty
to protect those rights,” says FSFE’s President Karsten Gerloff.
“The simple steps we are calling for today would lead to much
greater freedom of choice for Italians. We are hopeful that the
competition authorities will take action to implement the High
Court's ruling.”
- FSFE, ADUC, and ILS are asking the competition watchdog to take the
following steps: When non-free software is pre-installed on a device,
it must carry a prominent notice to users to make them aware of the
possibility to receive a reimbursement for the price of the software
license.
- Hardware vendors should put in place simple procedures for consumers
to claim reimbursements for pre-installed software in line with market
prices. Reimbursement procedures must not be unnecessarily
complicated, and need to be easy for consumers to find and follow.
- Warranty and support provisions for the device must not be affected by
whether a consumer chooses to have the price of the software
reimbursed.
Alternatively, vendors could sell their devices pre-installed with Free
Software, releasing them from the above obligations.
“Only Free Software allows users to fully control what their
computers are doing, and where their personal data goes,” says
FSFE’s President Karsten Gerloff. “Anyone who buys a computer should
have the option of receiving it with Free Software pre-installed.”
In most European countries, it is difficult for consumers to acquire PCs
and laptops without being forced to pay for a license for a non-free
operating system at the same time. FSFE has long been pushing for
vendors to end their current practice of pushing non-free software on
consumers who do not want or need it. The organisation maintains a wiki
page[3] with advice for consumers. Here, buyers can also report their
experiences in obtaining reimbursements from different vendors in
various countries.
--
Free Software Foundation Europe <https://fsfe.org>
FSFE News <https://fsfe.org/news/news.en.rss>
Upcoming FSFE Events <https://fsfe.org/events/events.en.rss>
Fellowship Blog Aggregation <https://planet.fsfe.org/en/rss20.xml>
Free Software Discussions <https://fsfe.org/contact/community.en.html>
1. https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140912-01.en.html
2. https://fsfe.org/www.aduc.it/generale/files/file/allegati/Istanza%20AGCM%20…
3. https://fsfe.org//wiki.fsfe.org/WindowsTaxRefund.sv.html
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit
non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and
involved in many global activities. Access to software determines
participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in
the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free
Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the
furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study,
modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues,
securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people
Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues
of the FSFE.
http://fsfe.org/
_______________________________________________
Press-release-sv mailing list
Press-release-sv(a)fsfeurope.org
https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/press-release-sv