= Study: To ensure transparency, European Parliament must adopt Free Software, Open Standards =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20141212-01.sk.html ]
A study relesead on Friday says that the European Parliament must adopt
Free Software and Open Standards[1] in order to fulfil its transparency
obligations. The authors conclude that "the Rules of Procedure of the
European Parliament should whenever possible make Free Software and Open
Standards mandatory for all systems and data used for the work of
Parliament."
The study, entitled "Ensuring utmost transparency -- Free Software and
Open Standards under the Rules of Procedure of the European
Parliament"[2], was prepared by two legal experts for the Greens/EFA[3]
in the European Parliament. Its authors, the legal experts Carlo Piana
(Italy) and Ulf Öberg (Sweden), argue that the Parliament is committed
to an even higher standard of openness than other EU institutions.
"This study sends a strong signal that Free Software and Open
Standards are essential for the European institutions to fulfil
their transparency obligations," says FSFE's president Karsten
Gerloff. "We call on the European Parliament to implement the
study's recommendations at all levels, and as quickly as possible,
in particular with regard to access and use of documents, email and
encryption, video streaming, and upcoming procurement decisions."
The study lists a number of concrete steps the European Parliament needs
to take in order to fulfil its transparency obligations:
- Immediate technical measures includes to enable access and use of
documents, email and encryption with and through Open Standards. In
other words, the European Parliament must make it possible to work
with ODF, IMAP and OpenPGP inside the Parliament. It must also ensure
that citizens can use these open standards to communicate with the
Parliament, regardless of the software platform they are using.
- When acquiring software and services, the European Parliament should
prefer Free Software based on Open Standards. This is not only allowed
by the EU's procurement rules, but actually "serves the general
economic interest of the EU".
- The European Parliament should continously check that its IT
infrastructure and services comply with the Constitutional Principle
of Openness and the Parliament's own Rules of Procedure to ensure the
utmost transparency.
FSFE and others have repeatedly criticised the Parliament for failing on
transparency. Currently, MEPs and parliamentary staff do not have access
to a standards-compliant email solution, and live video streams from the
Parliament are not accessible for Free Software users.
"The Parliament needs to open itself to the world," says Gerloff.
"Live video streams that allow all Europeans to follow the
Parliament's work are essential to democracy in the 21st century.
Encryption is a necessity to allow the citizens to talk to their
MEPs in confidence. Utmost transparency is one of the EU's
fundamental principles, and Europeans expect their Parliament to do
better in this regard."
The Greens/EFA are soliciting feedback[4] for a second edition of the
study.
Media contact:
Karsten Gerloff
Mail: gerloff fsfe.org
tel.: +49 176 9690 4298
--
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/activities/os/def.en.html
2. http://www.greens-efa.eu/fileadmin/dam/Documents/Studies/Ensuring-Utmost-Tr…
3. http://www.greens-efa.eu/free-software-and-open-standards-in-the-european-p…
4. http://euwiki.org/Ensuring_utmost_transparency_--_Free_Software_and_Open_St…
== 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/
= Get secure with a smartcard and support FSFE’s work in 2015 =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20141203-01.sk.html ]
Free Software Foundation Europe is a pan-European charity, established
in 2001 to empower users to control technology. To enable the
organisation to intensify its work with the European Commission and to
let more people know about Free Software, the FSFE needs another
€190,000 for its work in 2015. Next year, the FSFE will push harder than
ever to weave software freedom into the fabric of our society.
The new European Commission is currently setting the direction of its
policy making for the coming five years. The FSFE is in frequent contact
with Commission staff who currently see open doors for Free Software in
Brussels. In 2015, the FSFE wants to use this momentum to push for
changes on software procurement, standardisation, and device
sovereignty, and create real progress for Free Software and Open
Standards.
At the same time, in 2015 the FSFE will reach out to more people, and go
to more places where people do not yet know about Free Software. The
FSFE will expand its network of local groups throughout Europe. The
organisation is constantly translating its increasingly popular
promotion materials[1] into many European languages. Local volunteers
can spread the word about Free Software by ordering gratis promotion
packs, and distributing the materials at libraries, cinemas, shops and
in other places, greatly extending the reach of the Free Software
message.
The best way to support the FSFE's work is to[2] become a Fellow (a
sustaining member of the FSFE). All Fellowship contributions directly
benefit the FSFE’s work towards a free society. Fellows receive a state-
of-the-art Fellowship smartcard[3] which, together with the free GnuPG
encryption software and a card reader, can be used to sign and encrypt
e-mails, to secure SSH keys, to securely log into a computer from a
potentially insecure machine, or to store the user’s hard disk
encryption keys. Since the encryption key is stored on the card itself,
it is almost impossible to steal.
There is also the option to make a one time donation to the FSFE[4].
To continue its work in 2015, the FSFE will need €420,000 in total. The
organisation has already secured €230,000 thanks to existing sustaining
members, regular donations, and merchandise sales. The FSFE requires
another €190,000 to underwrite its work in 2015.
- Karsten Gerloff's blog entry about the FSFE's work in the last 12
months[5]
1. https://fsfe.org/contribute/spreadtheword.sk.html#promo-material
2. https://fsfe.org/join/join.sk.html
3. https://fsfe.org/fellowship/card.sk.html
4. https://fsfe.org/donate/onetime-donation.sk.html
5. http://blogs.fsfe.org/gerloff/2014/12/01/preview-what-fsfe-did-in-2014/
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software controlled technology 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
right to use, understand, adapt and share software. These rights help
support other fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and
privacy. (http://fsfe.org)
= 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.sk.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.sk.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/
= Italy: High Court shoots down Windows tax =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140912-01.sk.html ]
Italy's High Court has struck a blow to the practice of forcing non-free
software on buyers of PCs and laptops. According to La Repubblica[1],
the court ruled on Thursday that a laptop buyer was entitled to receive
a refund for the price of the Microsoft Windows license on his computer.
The judges sharply criticised the practice of selling PCs only together
with a non-free operating system as "a commercial policy of forced
distribution". The court slammed this this practice as "monopolistic in
tendency". It also highlighted that the practice of bundling means that
end users are forced into using additional non-free applications due to
compatibility and interoperability issues, whether they wanted these
programs or not
"This decision is both welcome and long overdue", said Karsten
Gerloff, President of the Free Software Foundation Europe. "No
vendor should be allowed to cram non-free software down the throats
of users."
Free Software Foundation Europe has been long been fighting the "Windows
tax", as the involuntary payment to Microsoft is often called. The
organisation maintains a wiki page[2] with advice for consumers who want
to avoid funding the development of non-free software, and accounts from
people who have returned the licenses they were forced to buy.
In response to the ruling, the Italian authorities should discourage the
bundling of software and hardware, and take practical steps to ensure
that consumers can really exercise their freedom of choice. Governments
around Europe should take the same steps, and encourage consumers
everywhere to install and use Free Software[3].
"This practice of forced distribution needs to end," says Gerloff.
"We hope that the Italian authorities will turn this ruling into a
real win for consumers, and ensure that computer buyers can choose
their device with any operating system they want, or none."
The number of the ruling is 19161 / 2014.
--
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. http://www.repubblica.it/tecnologia/2014/09/11/news/hp_perde_causa_il_softw…
2. https://wiki.fsfe.org/WindowsTaxRefund
3. http://fsfe.org/about/basics/freesoftware.en.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/
= FSFE: 32 Free Software Pact supporters elected to the European Parliament =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140528-01.sk.html ]
The European elections have brought 32 Free Software supporters into the
new European Parliament. Candidates across the political spectrum signed
the Free Software Pact[1], promising to support Free Software and Open
Standards during their time in Parliament. Out of 162 signatories, 32
were elected
"We congratulate the fresh MEPs on their election, and would like to
thank everyone who signed the Free Sotware Pact," says Karsten Gerloff,
president of the Free Software Foundation Europe. "Europe deserves more
software freedom. We rely on these MEPS to make sure that Europeans can
be in full control of the computers they use. FSFE will be happy to
support them in this important effort."
The Free Software Pact campaign is run by April[2] and supported by FSFE
and other Free Software organisations. Candidates who signed the pact
stated their support for Free Software and Open Standards in politics,
law and administration. Free Software activists all over Europe
collected 162 signatures from candidates across the political spectrum
in 16 countries. France is Europeans country with the highest number of
successful elected signatories, followed by Germany and Slovenia.
FSFE's outreach coordinator Erik Albers says: "Please join us in
continuing the push for software freedom in the Parliament. Contact your
Member of the new European Parliament and get her or him to sign the
Free Software Pact! Europe needs their support for Free Software and
Open Standards."
- More information: April's press release on the Free Software Pact
results in France[3]
- List of all Free Software Pact signatures[4]
--
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. http://freesoftwarepact.eu/
2. http://april.org
3. http://www.april.org/free-software-pact-162-signataires-dans-16-pays-17-sig…
4. http://freesoftwarepact.eu/europarl2014/
== 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/
= Open Letter to EU institutions: Time to support Open Standards =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140326-02.sk.html ]
In an open letter[1] to the European Parliament and the European
Commission, Free Software Foundation Europe and Open Forum Europe[2] are
asking the European institutions to improve their support for Open
Standards. The letter is directed to Giancarlo Vilella, the president of
the European Parliament's DG ITEC and chair of the Inter-Institutional
Committee for Informatics.
In a recent letter[3] to MEP Amelia Andersdotter, the EC acknowledges
that is is in a state of "effective captivity" to Microsoft. As FSFE has
pointed out repeatedly[4], this is a persistent problem for the
Commission, the Council and the Parliament.
"Recognising a problem is always the first step towards solving it. We
appreciate the Commission's newfound frankness on the subject," says
FSFE's president Karsten Gerloff. "Along with Europe's citizens and the
continent's software industry, we now expect the Commission to take
action and free itself from this captivity."
The letter also raises the issue of video formats. Currently, it is
difficult or impossible for Free Software users to follow the
proceedings of the Parliament and the Council in real time, because the
live video streams of these organisations rely on proprietary
technology. This is a problem which OFE and FSFE have highlighted for
many years.
"This would be a comparatively simple measure for the European
institutions to improve the transparency of their work for ordinary
citizens," says Gerloff. "We fail to understand why there has not been
more progress on this issue over the past six years."
1. http://fsfe.org/activities/os/2014-03-26.OpenLetterToVilella.en.html
2. http://openforumeurope.org
3. https://ameliaandersdotter.eu/sites/default/files/andersdotter_annex.pdf
4. https://blogs.fsfe.org/gerloff/2011/06/06/the-european-commissions-locked-i…
== 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/
= Document Freedom Day delivers messages of interoperability around the world =
[Read online: http://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140326-01.sk.html]
Over the following 24 hours Open Standards will be celebrated to the
ends of the earth. The Document Freedom Day campaign for
interoperability is being enacted from Tokyo to Rio[1], and Birmingham
to Taipei[2]. 41 Events are taking place in 18 countries so far.
Open Standards provide the means for apps and computers to communicate
together using common formats that everyone can use. This year two
Document Freedom Day events have been organised by Government bodies:
the Brazilian Federal Government CISL Committee[3], and the Nepalese
Department[4] of Information Technology. Events in the European
Parliament[5] are today exploring Open Standards used for encryption,
while the OpenStreetMap Foundation on Saturday received the Document
Freedom Day UK award[6] in Birmingham.
"Spying revelations of the last year have proven the value of Open
Standards for security as well for documents" says Sam Tuke, Campaign
Manager. "Encrypted messages and network connections using Open
Standards provide world-class privacy, used by Edward Snowden[7] and the
NSA alike."
Supporting organisations have marked the occasion in their own style,
with a series of articles[8] on SVG by Libre Graphics Magazine, a new
whitepaper by The Document Foundation later this week, and a standards
infographic by PHPList.
"This year, teams are using a broad range of multilingual educational
resources to introduce Open Standards to the public" says Erik Albers,
Community Manager. "Thousands of Cartoons, leaflets and posters have
already been dispatched, and online editions[9] have been printed in
Turkey and Japan. New groups can still participate by locally
distributing materials and registering[10] their event."
Document Freedom Day 2014 is facilitated by the Free Software Foundation
Europe, and made possible by support from Google, Commons Machinery, and
Freiheit Technologies. A report of all events will be published in
April, collecting highlights and media from participating groups.
1. http://documentfreedom.org/events/events.html
2. http://documentfreedom.org/events/events.html
3. http://www.softwarelivre.gov.br/eventos/dfd-document-freedom-day
4. http://www.ku.edu.np/cse/kucc/?event=one-day-workshop-on-open-standards
5. http://www.greens-efa.eu/greensefa-4th-document-freedom-day-in-the-european…
6. http://documentfreedom.org/news/2014/news-20140324-01.en.html
7. http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/17/encrypting-your-email-works-says-nsa-whist…
8. http://libregraphicsmag.com/blog/
9. http://documentfreedom.org/artwork.html
10. http://documentfreedom.org/registerevent.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/
= Computers in the post-Snowden era: choose before paying! =
[Read online: http://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140324-01.sk.html]
The revelations from Edward Snowden concerning massive surveillance of
communications demonstrates the need for each person to be able to
control their computers and phones. Yet computer and telephone
manufacturers and retailers typicall impose on users programs that
jeopardise their privacy.
Each person should therefore have the opportunity to refuse to pay for
non-Free software, and be allowed to choose the programs that run on
their telephone and computer.
Today, the Free Software Foundation joins other organisations throughout
the world[1] in requesting an unfettered choice of the operating system
on telephones, laptops and other computing devices.
- Sign the international petition![2]
- Further information.[3]
- Do you want help in promoting this petition?[4]
1. http://no.more.racketware.info/petition/support
2. http://no.more.racketware.info/petition/click/en
3. http://no.more.racketware.info/petition/en/index
4. http://no.more.racketware.info/petition/index
== 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/