= Luca vs Lenovo +++ Reinhard and the FSFE +++ IloveFS report =
[ Lexojeni online: https://fsfe.org/news/nl/nl-202103.sq.html ]
In our March Newsletter read about our supporter Luca Bonissi who forced
Lenovo to pay a 20.000 Euros refund for a pre-installed Windows, about
our supporter Reinhard Müller who has volunteered for the FSFE for two
decades, our "I Love Free Software" report and as usual about our other
diverse community activities.
== Luca Bonissi vs Lenovo: 20.000 Euros refund for a pre-installed Windows ==
We all know how frustrating it is to buy a brand new computer and
realise that it comes with a pre-installed proprietary operating system.
After an initial annoyance, however, even most Free Software stalwarts
do not further complain, wipe the system and proceed with a fresh
install of a free operating system of their choice. Not so Luca Bonissi,
an Italian developer and long-term FSFE supporter. After buying a new
Lenovo Ideapad, he contacted Lenovo to file a request for a license
refund and a return of the pre-installed Microsoft Windows. However,
Lenovo refused to refund Luca for the Windows license - worth 42 Euro -
and what followed was a truly legal and bureaucratic quest which
consumed many months and several court proceedings. Finally, in December
2020, the Court of Monza rejected all Lenovo's arguments, confirming
that the reimbursement of the pre-installed software was due.
In its sentence, the Court of Monza also pointed out that the
manufacturer itself had expressly assumed an obligation to pay a refund
in the Windows licence. In its historic decision, the court further
imposed upon Lenovo punitive damages amounting to 20.000 euros [1] for
abuse of the appeal procedures. Lenovo forced its customer to take part
in a disproportionate and unnecessary legal process. The court also
noted that this case is an example of the arrogance and prevarication of
a giant company against a modest consumer. In the end, the court ruled
that the sum was to be paid to Luca, by way of compensating for the
damage caused by aggravated procedural liability.
In a deeply selfless act, Luca Bonissi donated 15.000 Euros [2] from the
recovered damages to the FSFE, encouraging people to stand their ground
for their rights. We are extremely grateful for this donation by Luca
and also that he shared the documentation [3] and procedures in the
updated wiki page for Italy [4].
== "The Monza decision demonstrated that is possible to reverse the unacceptable behaviour of big techs. What was taken away from the Free Software community has now been returned to it. I encourage everyone to fight back for their legitimate rights!" says Luca Bonissi and we could not agree more. 20 Years FSFE: Interview with Reinhard Müller ==
Now from Luca Bonissi in Italy to Reinhard Müller in Austria: Reinhard
is another volunteer whose dedication to Free Software and the FSFE are
legendary. Throughout the last two decades, Reinhard has helped to shape
the FSFE in its self-understanding and in its overall organisation as
well as in our daily operations. Indeed, Reinhard has basically taken
over any position from local volunteer to country team member, from
booth volunteer to financial officer and from a supporter to the General
Assembly. Most people are surprised when they hear that he is a
volunteer and not a paid staffer of the FSFE.
Listing all of his contributions in this newsletter basically seems
impossible, but we conducted an interview with Reinhard [5] in which we
try to cover at least some of the most essential parts of his life with
and within the FSFE. Read about what keeps him motivated, his energy
sources, his favorite FSFE activities and his wishes for the FSFE for
the next 20 years.
== I Love Free Software Day ==
>From Reinhard Müller to the I Love Free Software Day, because this is
his favorite campaign and it is the favorite campaign for many people
around the globe. This year we already celebrated the 11th edition of
the "I Love Free Software Day" and we just published our activity report
[6]. In numbers we counted 411 tweets on Twitter and 210 toots and
countless retweets and retoots in the Fediverse using the hashtag
#ilovefs. People from all over the world joined the "I Love Free
Software Day" via social media and tweeted and tooted from at least 328
different places.
This year we had two novelties: Together with FSFE's volunteer Florian
Snow we created some share pictures for sharing our love for Free
Software and a lot of people participated [7]. Also we created a special
Software Freedom Podcast Episode [8] which provides a nice background of
the origins and the highlights of the last eleven years of the "I Love
Free Software Day".
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This year the FSFE celebrates its 20th anniversary. Support our work for
the next 20 years to come [9]
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== What have we done? Inside and outside the FSFE ==
- As you know from our previous newsletters, the FSFE was again present
at FOSDEM with a community event before FOSDEM, and this year we also
co-organised the Legal and Policy Devroom for the first time. Now [all
talks are available online], including the talks in the Devroom as
well as Cory Doctorow's keynote in our community event.
- Johanna Pohl, Anja Höfner, Friederike Rohde and the FSFE's Erik Albers
published an Open Access article about the "Design Options for Long-
lasting, Efficient and Open Hardware and Software" [10] in
"Ökologisches Wirtschaften: Digitalisation and Sustainability"
- Our PMPC Video is now available in Swedish [11]; it is now available
in nine different languages.
- The FSFE was present at this year's Chemnitzer Linuxtage where Bonnie
Mehring gave a talk about "Public Money? Public Code!" [12] in which
she explained how the campaign framework can be used to push for the
adoption of Free Software friendly policies on a local level. Matthias
Kirschner gave a talk about "20 years FSFE - The long road to software
freedom" [13]
- Erik Albers was at the Winterkongress of the Digitale Gesellschaft
Schweiz, where he gave a talk about the sustainability of Free
Software [14].
- In the aftermath of his participation in a panel discussion about
opportunities, hurdles with and incentives for Free Software in the
public administration, Matthias Kirschner wrote down [15] his
recommendations and thoughts for public procurement and Free Software
in his blog.
- The German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg,
together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, are planning to
set up a joint Free Software code repository for public
administrations, consisting of a central part and compatible,
decentralized "satellites". This approach comes close to our demands
formulated in the initiative "A Place for Public Code" [16]
- On 17 March 2021, in the Netherlands the Bestuursafdeling van de Raad
van State heard our Dutch team member Jos van den Oever in a case
against the Tweede Kamer. It concerns the app 'Debat Direct'. With
this app, debates in the Lower House can be followed. Jos requested
the Tweede Kamer to disclose the source code of the app 'Debat
Direct'. As yet, Chamber President Arib refuses to make this public. [
https://broncode.org/nieuws/20210315.html [17] ]
== Contribute to our newsletter ==
If you would like to share any thoughts, pictures, or news, please send
them to us. As always, the address is newsletter(a)fsfe.org. We are
looking forward to hearing from you!
If you also want to support us and our work, join our community and
support us with a donation or a monthly contribution [18].
Thanks to our community and all the volunteers [19], supporters [20],
and donors [21] who make our work possible. And thanks to our
translators [22], who enable you to read this newsletter in your native
languages.
Your editor, Erik Albers
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1: https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.sq.html
2: https://fsfe.org/donate/thankgnus
3: https://bonissi.it/bonissi_lenovo/
4: https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/WindowsTaxRefund/Italy
5: https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210305-01.sq.html
6: https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210317-01.sq.html
7: https://download.fsfe.org/campaigns/ilovefs/share-pics/people/
8: https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/episode-9.sq.html
9: https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/nl/nl-202103.html
10: https://www.oekologisches-wirtschaften.de/index.php/oew/article/view/1788
11: https://publiccode.eu/sv/#about
12: https://chemnitzer.linux-tage.de/2021/en/programm/beitrag/227
13: https://chemnitzer.linux-tage.de/2021/en/programm/beitrag/124
14: https://chemnitzer.linux-tage.de/2021/en/programm/beitrag/227
15: https://k7r.eu/panel-free-software-development-for-the-public-administratio…
16: https://fsfe.org/news/2020/news-20200910-01.sq.html
17: https://broncode.org/nieuws/20210315.html
18: https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/nl/nl-202103.html
19: https://fsfe.org/contribute
20: https://my.fsfe.org/support
21: https://fsfe.org/donate/thankgnus
22: https://fsfe.org/contribute/translators
23: https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=nl
24: https://community.fsfe.org/t/633