The FSF Europe recommends: start avoiding SourceForge and use
alternative services instead!
Loïc Dachary: SourceForge drifting
[permanent URL of this document:
http://fsfeurope.org/news/article2001-10-20-01.en.html]
Over the past few months the SourceForge development facility, which
hosts a large number of Free Software projects, has changed its
policies. Features for exporting a project from SourceForge have been
removed. The implementation used to be exclusively Free Software but
is now based on non-free software. Finally, VA Linux[1] has become
rather underhand in their attempts to grasp exclusive control of
contributors' work.
SourceForge did a lot of good for the Free Software community, but
it's now time to break free.
* Locking users in a non-free software world
SourceForge brought to Free Software a unified and standard
development methodology based on modern tools. Before SourceForge,
such tools (bug tracking, cvs, web, support, forums, polls, news,
etc.) were available individually, but few developers used many of
them together, because they had to set up the combined facilities on
their own. SourceForge made the combination conveniently available for
both new and experienced developers.
Because of the convenience of SourceForge, many Free Software
developers have come to take this collection of features for granted,
and would be reluctant to go back to the old way of doing things.
Unfortunately, this means that when SourceForge itself takes a turn
for the worse, it tends to pull Free Software developers down with it.
The second important thing SourceForge did was to provide this
environment based exclusively on Free Software. By doing this,
SourceForge not only provided a powerful methodology for the Free
Software community, it also demonstrated what Free Software could do,
and promoted the use of Free Software. And since the special software
for SourceForge was itself free, anyone could set up a similar site.
The SourceForge software became permanently available to developers
everywhere. Developers in (say) India who can't afford the bandwidth
to use the SourceForge site could have the benefit of the same
features on their own server.
In August 2001, VA Linux reversed those policies and introduced
non-free software on the SourceForge server. In announcing this, Larry
Augustin (VA Linux CEO) claims that SourceForge.net users will "see
virtually no changes." That may be true if they narrow their vision
and consider only what job the site does and how to operate it. But
when we consider the implications, things are very different now.
Instead of a showcase for Free Software, SourceForge is now a demo
site for non-free software. There is a danger that the many thousands
of people registered on SourceForge will become increasingly hooked on
the SourceForge site and on features implemented by proprietary
software.
As a Free Software developer, you are still free to use the
SourceForge server, but you won't have the freedom to copy, modify,
study and distribute the software it runs; you won't be free to set up
a similar site yourself, or adapt it to your own needs. The last
published release of the SourceForge software is one year old.
The move to non-free software was the culmination of a series of steps
designed to lock users in. There never was a way to fully extract
projects from SourceForge, but efforts were made in this
direction--then this year they were removed. At present the only
things you can get are the CVS tree and tracker data
/export/sf_tracker_export.php. Few people are aware of the latter
because it is undocumented. The export page explains how to use
scripts that don't exist anymore; implementation of facilities to ease
project extraction was stopped. The developer community is
exclusively made of VA Linux employees and a few people who are asked
not to disclose the current code.
The mailing lists archives, a major service of SourceForge recently
became unmaintained. Will it be replaced by a non-free software based
solution ?
* Contributors' work appropriation
Here is what happened to me shortly before the announcement that
SourceForge would use and develop non-free software. Because I'm
listed as a contributor (in the sources and documentation) to the
SourceForge software, I received a request from VA Linux to assign
copyright to them. I was not surprised or unhappy with this; many
Free Software projects ask contributors to assign copyright of their
changes to the main author. Assigning copyright to a single holder is
a strategy for defending the GNU GPL more effectively, and I would
have been happy to cooperate in that regard.
But when I read the details of their copyright assignment, I saw major
problems. I was asked to assign copyright of my work that "is, or may
in the future be, utilized in the SourceForge collaborative software
development platform". The assignment was not limited to my
contribution to the SourceForge code, it potentially covered all my
past and future work if it was of some interest to SourceForge.
I was also expecting a promise that my work would be released under
the GNU GPL, but the assignment said nothing about Free Software. VA
Linux would be allowed to release the software I wrote under a
non-free software license and not let the community have it at all.
But I wasn't sure at the time if this was a real concern, because VA
Linux only produced and used Free Software. Two weeks later they
decided to introduce non-free software on SourceForge and that cast a
different light on the question.
VA Linux told me that they only sent the assignment to two people, in
the hope to refine it. We started a long discussion that lasted two
months. I assumed this discussion was to make the copyright
assignment more palatable to the Free Software community, so I worked
hard to give constructive feedback. Finally I was sent the version of
the copyright assignment produced by the legal department. I quote it
here in its entirety:
SourceForge Copyright Assignment
Thank you for your interest in contributing software code to
SourceForge.
In order for us to include the code in our product, we will
need you to provide us with the rights to the code.
By signing this agreement, you, the undersigned, hereby assign
to VA Linux all right, title and interest in and to the
software code described below, and all copyright, patent,
proprietary information, trade secret, and other intellectual
property rights therein. You also agree to take all actions and
sign all documents (such as copyright assignments or
registrations) reasonably requested by VA Linux to evidence and
record the above assignments.
This was even more of a power grab than the first draft. "You give us
total control; we promise nothing". At this point, I knew that the
attempts to clarify the copyright assignment were a waste of time; VA
Linux clearly wasn't collecting copyright assignments in order to
enforce the GNU GPL.
* Escape entrapment
It's time for people who value freedom to escape from SourceForge. It
has become a tar pit from which escape will become increasingly
difficult. Development hosting platforms based completely on Free
Software flourish all over the world. You can create your own, join
an existing one or help write the underlying software. Some months ago
I helped to launch Savannah for the GNU project because I felt the
need of a collaboratively run platform. With friends and
co-developpers we are now re-writing and packaging distributed
development hosting software. The idea is to be able to install and
operate a SourceForge-like site within hours. Savannah will run this
software at the end of this year. At first it may have less
functionality than SourceForge, but it has a bright future because it
is rooted in a cooperative effort of people sharing Free Software.
SourceForge is free as in free beer because it was designed this
way. It was a very expensive and ephemeral gift to the Free Software
community. We could resent VA Linux for such a poisoned gift. On the
contrary I think we should thank them. They brought us methodology,
and taught us that a development hosting facility must be built in a
distributed and collaborative way, not by a single company controlling
everything from top to bottom. Of course that means everyone needs to
spend a little time developing and maintaining these hosting
facilities. We've finished our beer, it's time to win our freedom.
Loïc Dachary
[1] VA Linux is the owner of the SourceForge domain name, provides and
owns the hardware, pays for the bandwidth, hire people maintaining
SourceForge. VA Linux is also the owner of most sites, the largest
concentration of Free Software related resources in the hands of a
single company.
Juridical Coup at the European Patent Office
EuroLinux demands European governments to replace
the current board of the European Patent Office
and to strengthen democratic control
EuroLinux Alliance
petition.EuroLinux.org
For immediate Release
Munich, Paris. 2001-11-05 - Without waiting for the expected vote by
the European Union of a directive on the patentatibility of software,
the European Patent Office just published a new examination directive
which extends the realm of the European patent practice to software,
business methods and mathematics [1,2].
This decision constitutes a violation of the European democracy and a
provocation against European governments which had publicly stated
last November 2000 that they wanted tighter political control over the
European Patent Office and decided to preserve the exception for
computer programmes. [3] This shameful and unacceptable decision also
constitutes a violation of Article 22 of of the European Patent
Convention which stipulates that only the Enlarged Board of Appeal may
take decisions on significant patent policy issues. However, the
European Patent Office has extended the realm of the European patent
practice through hidden decisions of technical boards in order not to
ask their opinion to European governments. The European Patent Office
has tried to circumvent the democratic control of European Governments
through adventurous administrative processes. The European Patent
Office ignores its ruling authorities. [4] The European Patent Office
scorns the 80% of software companies which are against software
patents. [5, 6]
EuroLinux demands that European governments act firmly.
All projects of directive on the patentability of software, based on
the opinion of European governments, and written by the General
Directorate for Internal Market, require the European Patent Office to
act in a controlable and sensible way. However, control and common
sense do not seem to be appropriate terms for the current behaviour of
the European Patent Office. Therefore, EuroLinux demands governments
to
* clearly state their oppositioons to the patentability of software
and intangible innovations,
* demonstrate to the public opinion their ability to control the
European Patent Office by replacing urgently the current board,
responsible of repeated violations of the European Patent
Convention and of the Diplomatic Conference.
EuroLinux urges all companies, all software users and all citizens who
whish to protect software innovation in Europe and free competition in
the information society to join the 90.000 individual supporters and
300 corporate supporters of our petition for a software patent free
Europe [7].
References
[1] EPO Press Release for the new examination rules for software -
http://swpat.ffii.org/cnino/epgl01A/indexen.html
[2] New EPO examination rules for software -
http://www.epo.co.at/legal/gui_lines/f/c_iv_2.htm
[3] EPO Press Release after the November 2001 conference 2001 -
http://www.european-patent-office.org/news/pressrel/2000_11_29_e.htm
[4] Stealing with a Righteous Effect, a tale explaining how the EPO
could patnet the unpatentable -
http://swpat.ffii.org/stidi/epc52/moses/indexen.html
[5] The Results of the European Commission Consultation Exercise -
http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indprop/softanalyse.pdf
[6] Acceptable protection of software intellectual property: a survey
of software developers and lawyers -
http://www.pro-innovation.org/rapport_brevet/economy/elsevier/acceptab
le.pdf
[7] EuroLinux Petition - http://petition.eurolinux.org
About EuroLinux - www.EuroLinux.org
The EuroLinux Alliance for a Free Information Infrastructure is an
open coalition of commercial companies and non-profit associations
united to promote and protect a vigourous European Software Culture
based on Open Standards, Open Competition, Linux and Open Source
Software. Companies members or supporters of EuroLinux develop or sell
software under free, semi-free and non-free licenses for operating
systems such as Linux, MacOS or Windows.
The EuroLinux Alliance launched on 2000-06-15 an electronic petition
to protect software innovation in Europe. The EuroLinux petition has
received so far massive support from more than 90.000 European
citizens, 2000 corporate managers and 300 companies.
The EuroLinux Alliance has co-organised in 1999, together with the
French Embassy in Japan, the first Europe-Japan conference on Linux
and Free Software. The EuroLinux Alliance is at the initiative of the
www.freepatents.org web site to promote and protect innovation and
competition in the European IT industry.
Press Contacts
France & Europe: Jean-Paul Smets jp(a)smets.com +33-6 62 05 76 14
Germany & Europe: Harmut Pilch phm(a)ffii.org +49-89 127 89 608
Denmark and Northern Europe: Anne Østergaard aoe(a)sslug.dk
Belgium: Nicolas Pettiaux nicolas.pettiaux(a)linuxbe.org
Permanent URL for this PR
http://petition.EuroLinux.org/pr/pr14.html
Legalese
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
All other trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective
companies.
--
Petition contre les brevets logiciels http://petition.eurolinux.org/
Frederic Couchet Tel: 06 60 68 89 31 / 01 49 22 67 89
APRIL http://www.april.org/
Free Software Foundation Europe http://www.fsfeurope.org/
[ This press release is also available on the Internet at:
http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-10-22-Emacs.html
]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Free Software Foundation
Bradley M. Kuhn <pr(a)gnu.org>
Phone: +1-617-542-5942
FSF Announces Version 21 of the GNU Emacs Editing Environment
Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Monday, October 22, 2001 - The Free Software
Foundation announced today the 21.1 release of GNU Emacs. Emacs is a Free
Software multilingual text editor, licensed under the GNU General Public
License (GNU GPL).
Richard Stallman said, "Emacs 21 is a big step forward in our long-term
plan to take Emacs from a programmable text editor to a programmable word
processor."
Emacs 21.1 includes support for proportional fonts: characters in a line
can be of variable width and lines can have variable heights. It also
supports including images in text. Emacs 21.1 adds a number of new
user-interface features: it has tool bars for executing frequently used
commands, it supports native scroll bars, it displays tool tips, and it
has a mouse-sensitive mode line. Even on text-only terminals, Emacs 21.1
supports colors and other display attributes.
With the release of version 21.1, the Emacs development sources are
accessible via anonymous CVS from http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/emacs/.
The anonymous CVS services are provided by Savannah, GNU's
SourceForge-like system for project collaboration.
GNU Emacs 21.1 can be downloaded from the FTP directory at
ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/. However, users are encouraged to use mirror
sites for downloads, to decrease the load on GNU and FSF servers. A list
of mirrors can be found at http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html.
GNU Emacs 21.1 has already been packaged for Debian. Users of Debian
GNU/Linux's unstable branch can install GNU Emacs 21 via the native Debian
APT system.
About GNU Emacs:
Emacs is the extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time
display editor.
If this seems to be a bit of a mouthful, an easier explanation is
Emacs is a text editor and more. At its core is an interpreter for
Emacs Lisp, a dialect of the Lisp programming language with extensions
to support text editing.
Some of the features of GNU Emacs include:
* Content-sensitive major modes for a wide variety of file types, from
plain text to source code to HTML files.
* Complete online documentation, including a tutorial for new users.
* Highly extensible through the Emacs Lisp language.
* Support for many languages and their scripts, including all the
European "Latin" scripts, Russian, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Korean,
Thai, Vietnamese, Lao, Ethiopian, and some Indian scripts.
* Many extensions for jobs such as reading and sending mail, reading
net news, calendar, and diary. More Emacs extensions are distributed
separately--even a web browser.
History of Emacs:
Richard Stallman developed the original Emacs text editor in 1975 while
working at MIT. Emacs, first developed in 1975, is an extensible text
editor that allows the user to program editing commands. The original
Emacs used TECO as the user programming language. GNU Emacs, which uses
Lisp as the user programming language, was started in September 1984 as
part of developing the GNU operating system.
Emacs has undergone continuous development since that time, and has been
approved based on user bug reports and contributions from the Free
Software community. Emacs 19 added support for multiple frames using the
X Windowing System. Emacs 20 added multi-lingual support.
About GNU:
GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. Development of GNU
began in 1984. http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html gives
more information about GNU and its history.
GNU/Linux is the integrated combination of the GNU operating system with
the kernel, Linux, written by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The various
versions of GNU/Linux have an estimated 20 million users.
Some people call the GNU/Linux system "Linux", but this misnomer leads to
confusion (people cannot tell whether you mean the whole system or the
kernel, one part), and spreads an inaccurate picture of how, when and
where the system was developed. Making a consistent distinction between
GNU/Linux, the whole operating system, and Linux, the kernel, is the best
way to clear up the confusion. See
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation.
For immediate release:
Free Software Foundation Announces 7th Major Release of GNU Bayonne
===================================================================
Today Dave Sugar, a GNU package maintainer, announced the 7th major
release of GNU Bayonne for developing free software based telephony
application services today.
This new version provides improved support for building digital telephony
services and applications under free software by adding support for CAPI
based BRI cards. An important contributor in this effort has been Kai
Germaschewski, who is better known for his work related to ISDN4Linux and
CAPI4Linux.
GNU Bayonne also supports Voicetronix hardware, which offers low cost
multi-post analog DSP telephony cards. Voicetronix was the first
telephony card vendor to release their drivers and api under the GPL,
supporting the GNU Bayonne project from the start.
We also continue to support the Quicknet telephony cards and the Linux
kernel standard "/dev/phone" interface, as well as analog and some
digital telephony cards from Intel. Work on various other telephony
cards and support for next generation IP based telephony networks are
also in progress.
Using a commodity PC platform running GNU/Linux and multi-line telephony
hardware available from numerous vendors, GNU Bayonne has already been
used to create and deploy commercial voice applications that interface
with the public telephone network. Such applications can include basic
services like Voice Mail, as well as web integrated voice commerce
(v-commerce) and customer relations management. GNU Bayonne offers
scalability to support deployment of carrier grade enhanced services under
free operating systems.
GNU Bayonne and all related non-hardware specific software needed for
building and running it may be found at the GNU ftp site
(http://www.gnu.org/gnu). Individual drivers and telephony hardware
related libraries are provided directly from the respective vendors. All
information about GNU Bayonne may be found at
http://www.gnu.org/software/bayonne.
GNU Bayonne is a standard package in the GNU project and is also part of
the broader GNU and free Telephony effort that is directed under GNUCOMM
(http://www.gnu.org/projects/gnucomm). GNU Bayonne is also used as a part
of GNU Enterprise (http://www.gnue.org). In addition to supporting
GNU/Linux, we are looking to make GNU Bayonne available under FreeBSD and
GNU/HURD.
About the Free Software Foundation:
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software---particularly the GNU operating system (used widely
today in its GNU/Linux variant)--- and free documentation. The FSF also
helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom
in the use of software. Their web site, located at http://www.gnu.org, is
an important source of information about GNU/Linux. They are
headquartered in Boston, MA, USA
About GNUCOMM, the GNU Telephony Project:
GNUCOMM, a subsystem of GNU, provides free software solutions to common
telecommunications problems. GNUCOMM will free users of voicemail, PBX,
and call-center applications from reliance on the proprietary software
that currently dominates such telephony equipment. The system aims to be
scalable and configurable enough to allow end-users to develop their own
telecommunications systems with little or no special knowledge of
GNUCOMM's internals. GNUCOMM will support both VoIP and PSTN interfaces,
as well as interfaces to existing phone systems. GNUCOMM will scale from
individual user installations to carrier-class sites. The website of
GNUCOMM is located at http://www.gnu.org/software/gnucomm/gnucomm.html.
About GNU Enterprise:
GNUe aims to provide a suite of tools and applications for solving the
specific needs of the enterprise. GNUe will handle the needs of any size
business, including applications for human resources, accounting, customer
relationship management, project management, supply chain and e-commerce.
GNUe is a free software project developed by volunteer software developers
worldwide. The website of GNU Enterprise is
http://www.gnu.org/projects/gnue/.
_______________________________________________
FSF And GNU Press mailing list <info-press(a)gnu.org>
http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-press
Press-release of the Free Software Foundation Europe
For immediate release
"Associazione Software Libero (AsSoLi) becomes associate organization
of the FSF Europe."
(Florence, Italy/Hamburg, Germany)
The FSF Europe is pleased to announce that the Associazione Software
Libero (AsSoLi) is now an associate organization of the Free Software
Foundation Europe.
The AsSoLi has joined the FSF Europe to actively support its
activities and work for Free Software in Europe, beginning in Italy
where the association has already begun a compaign providing
high-quality information for Free Software.
The first and most important task AsSoLi is currently working on is
the new italian law 248/2000, which is damaging to Free Software in
Italy. (http://www.softwarelibero.it/docs/siae-en.shtml)
The AsSoLi will start working together with Free Software Foundation
Europe on relevant topics for Italy and, if possibile, for all of
Europe.
"When we built the basis for this cooperation earlier this year, I
experienced the Italian Free Software community to be very lively and
energetic. We are very glad that AsSoLi wants to work so closely with
the FSF Europe on building a Free Software Europe."
says Georg Greve, President of Free Software Foundation Europe
"I'm really satisfied that the FSF Europe recognized AsSoLi as an
associated organization. We see this fact as the first step of a great
collaboration in the diffusion and spreading in Italy of Free Software
and its philosophy, which determined its born and allow its
development."
says Simone Piccardi, President of Associazione Software Libero
About the Associazione Software Libero:
The Associazione Software Libero is a non-profit association with the
primary goal of spreading Free Software in Italy.
More information: http://www.softwarelibero.it
About the FSF Europe:
The Free Software Foundation Europe is the sister organization of the
Free Software Foundation created 1985 by Richard M. Stallman in the
United States of America.
Principal goals of the FSF Europe are coordination of Free Software
initiatives throughout Europe, providing a Free Software
competence-center for politicians and journalists and infrastructure
for Free Software projects, especially the GNU Project.
Further information about the FSF Europe can be found at
http://fsfeurope.org
Contact:
Europe
Georg C. F. Greve <greve(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +49-40-23809080
Fax: +49-40-23809081
France
Frederic Couchet <fcouchet(a)april.org>
Tel: +33 6 60 68 89 31
Germany
Bernhard Reiter <bernhard(a)intevation.de>
Tel: +49-541 - 335 08 - 33
Italy
Alessandro Rubini <rubini(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +39-0382-529.554 (o .424)
Fax: +39-0382-529.424
Sweden
Jonas Öberg <jonas(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +46-21-144831
Further press contact information is available at
http://fsfeurope.org/press/
Background information by the Free Software Foundation Europe
"FSF Europe presented Free Software at OECD workshop in Tokyo on
invitation of the German Ministry of Economics and Technology"
(Tokyo, Japan) September 12th and 13th 2001, the FSF Europe presented
the advantages of Free Software regarding "Information security in a
networked world" at a OECD conference. Bernhard Reiter, German
chancellor of the FSF Europe, represented the FSF Europe and other
German groups related to Free Software on invitation of the German
Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
The 15 minute talk titled "Free Software as standard and basis for a
secure Information Technology" took place in the track about "Role of
technical standards" on Thursday morning. It outlined the four
fundamental freedoms for software to be Free Software, stressed the
importance of Free Software for the internet and closed with examples
for Free Software solutions like the GNU Privacy Guard (GPG).
"This successful collaboration between the FSF Europe and the BMWi
shows that the Free Software community is being heard." says Georg
Greve, President of the FSF Europe, "Free Software is a global
phenomenon of international importance, it has to be treated as
such. We will continue strengthening the internation cooperation and
networking."
About the FSF Europe:
The Free Software Foundation Europe is the European sister
organization of the Free Software Foundation created 1985 by Richard
M. Stallman in the United States of America.
Principal goals of the FSF Europe are coordination of Free Software
initiatives throughout Europe, providing a Free Software
competence-center for politicians and journalists and infrastructure
for Free Software projects, especially the GNU Project.
Further information about the FSF Europe can be found at
http://fsfeurope.org
Contact:
Europe
Georg C. F. Greve <greve(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +49-40-23809080
Fax: +49-40-23809081
France
Frederic Couchet <fcouchet(a)april.org>
Tel: +33 6 60 68 89 31
Germany
Bernhard Reiter <bernhard(a)intevation.de>
Tel: +49-541 - 335 08 - 33
Italy
Alessandro Rubini <rubini(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +39-0382-529.554 (o .424)
Fax: +39-0382-529.424
Sweden
Jonas Öberg <jonas(a)gnu.org>
Tel: +46-21-144831
Further press contact information is available at
http://fsfeurope.org/press/
There is an HTML version of this press release at:
http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-09-24-CPI.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Cyberspace Policy Institute
Tony Stanco <Tony(a)FreeDevelopers.net>
Phone: +1-202-994-5513
Free Software Foundation
Bradley M. Kuhn <pr(a)fsf.org>
Phone: +1-617-542-5942
Richard Stallman and Eben Moglen to Speak at GWU's Cyberspace Policy
Institute's Free Software Conference
"Free Software: The Free Market/Free Speech Solution to the Microsoft
Antitrust Problem" on October 10, 2001
Washington, D.C., USA - Monday, September 24, 2001 - Dr. Richard Stallman,
founder and President of the Free Software Foundation, and Eben Moglen,
Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and General Counsel for the FSF,
will speak at George Washington University's Cyberspace Policy Institute
in Washington, D.C., October 10, 2001 at the CPI's Free Software
Conference: "Free Software: the Free Market/Free Speech Solution to the
Microsoft Antitrust Problem."
The Free Software Foundation promotes the development and use of Free
Software - particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux
variants - and Free Documentation for Free Software. GNU/Linux is the
integrated combination of the GNU operating system with the kernel, Linux,
written by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The various versions of GNU/Linux have
an estimated 20 million users worldwide.
"If code is law, then the real question we must face is: who should
control the code?" says Dr. Stallman. "Can it be left to a few companies
to secretly do whatever they please with the code, regardless of the
interests of the public at large?
"Software today can control the way the world lives, communicates and does
business," Dr. Stallman continues. "Proprietary software is typically
secret - you can't change it, or even see what it really does. You can't
tell if it has back doors, or sends your personal information to a server
on the net. You cannot even prevent changes that are detrimental, such as
a future version unable to access the files you are saving today.
"A choice of proprietary programs is just a choice of masters. Should the
code you use be under the control of Microsoft, or any other private
company? Or should you control the software you use?
"Free Software provides a democratic alternative. The GNU General Public
License, or GPL, was specifically designed to make sure the public's right
to the software freedoms we feel are vital in a free society are defended
and upheld for everyone. I use the expression 'free society' deliberately
in this context, so there will be no misunderstanding about the meaning of
the word 'free' in 'Free Software'. It refers to freedom--the freedom to
use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. We are not
opposed to profit or to business, but business must respect the public's
freedom and community if it is to be legitimate."
Dr. Stallman will explain what Free Software means, briefly give its
history, explain how software freedoms are currently being threatened by
software patents, the DMCA, and the Hague Treaty, and show how Microsoft
can use such tools to create a new monopoly, as well as make clear how
government agencies, researchers, schools, nonprofit organizations,
businesses, and all users can benefit by switching from proprietary to
Free Software.
Professor Moglen will speak about copyright and patent law and how
proprietary software restricts the freedoms of software developers and of
users, as well as speaking on the impact of the Free Software Movement.
"Free Software is an ethical movement that establishes the constructive
alternative to corporate globalization," says Professor Moglen. "It is a
technical movement that has changed the software industry and can make
monopolization impossible forever. And it is the centerpiece of the New
Economy. Microsoft and its allies will spend tens of millions of dollars
this year telling lies about Free Software. On October 10, you can learn
the truth about Free Software from the people who made it happen."
Eben Moglen holds a Ph.D. in history and a J.D. from Yale
University. Moglen is currently a professor of law and legal history at
Columbia University Law School and serves as general counsel for the Free
Software Foundation. His homepage is http://moglen.law.columbia.edu/.
Tony Stanco, Esq., Founder of FreeDevelopers.net and Senior Policy Analyst
of the Cyberspace Policy Institute says, "The moral question between Free
and proprietary software ultimately revolves around this issue: Is
software more like law? (Which ought to be Free and open to public
inspection, so that the public can participate in the formation of the
social contract by which they will be governed). Or is it more like
literature? (Which has been traditionally viewed as the creator's private
property). It's increasingly clear that with the Internet, software has
begun to supplement the traditional function of law and that digital
machines are fast becoming a nonhuman, cyberpolice force watching and
directing everything people do.
"The Cyberspace Policy Institute decided to sponsor this conference so
that policymakers in Washington, their staff, the press, students, and all
who are interested in how software can affect them, can be introduced to
Free Software and meet those who began the Free Software Movement.
Tony Stanco will also say a few words on: Why the world's richest company
is attacking the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) by calling it a
"cancer", a "destroyer" of innovation, "anti-American"? Whether this is
true, or whether Microsoft dislikes the GPL because the four freedoms it
establishes for computer users make monopolies hard to sustain? How Free
Software created products, like the GNU/Linux operating system, that
compete with Microsoft's Windows on heavy-duty servers in the back office?
Why the principles of the new Intellectual Age are fundamentally different
from those of the previous Industrial Age? Whether Software Freedom can
restore innovation and creativity to the software industry and provide a
way to solve the Microsoft antitrust question? Whether Microsoft's .Net
initiative will inevitably continue its monopoly? Or will Free Software's
DotGNU project break the Microsoft stranglehold and liberate computer
users to control the software they use?
Tony Stanco said, "We invited Microsoft to send a representative to join
in the conference, because it seemed unfortunate that Craig Mundie, VP of
Microsoft, has not yet had the opportunity to debate on the subject of the
GPL face to face with Dr. Stallman, the man who created it. He has not
accepted our invitation to date, but he is still welcome. It's an open
invitation."
The event will be held Wednesday, October 10, 2001 in the George
Washington University Marvin Center Ballroom (800 21st Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20052), beginning at 12:00 noon and ending at 5:00 PM.
There will be a break at midpoint, with light refreshments served.
For more information and to register for this free event, please go to the
Cyberspace Policy Institute website [http://www.cpi.seas.gwu.edu/].
About GNU:
GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. Development of GNU
began in 1984. The site, at http://www.gnu.org, explains the GNU project
in detail.
GNU/Linux is the integrated combination of the GNU operating system with
the kernel, Linux, written by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The various versions
of GNU/Linux have an estimated 20 million users. Some people call the
GNU/Linux system "Linux", but this misnomer leads to confusion (people
cannot tell whether you mean the whole system, or the kernel, which is one
part), and spreads an inaccurate picture of the system's history and
origin. Making a consistent distinction between GNU/Linux, the whole
operating system, and Linux, the kernel, is the best way to clear up the
confusion.
About the Free Software Foundation:
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of Free (as
in freedom) Software - particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants - and Free Documentation for Free Software. The FSF
also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software. Their web site, located at
http://www.fsf.org, is an important source of information about GNU/Linux.
They are headquartered in Boston, MA, USA.
About Cyberspace Policy Institute:
The Cyberspace Policy Institute is a center at George Washington
University to promote the analysis of policy problems that have a
significant computer systems component. Inside GW, the Institute brings
together researchers with interests in these areas, bridging discipline
barriers, much as the new information age is bridging cultural and
geopolitical barriers. Outside of the University, it works with government
and private organizations to examine important issues in computer and
communications systems policy. The Institute carries out studies and hosts
seminars and conferences that move society towards rational and informed
discussion of these critical changes. CPI's mission is to encourage,
promote, facilitate, and execute interdisciplinary research in areas
related to the nexus of society and the Internet. The site is
http://www.cpi.seas.gwu.edu.
About DotGNU:
DotGNU, a joint FreeDevelopers and GNU Project, will be a complete Free
Software replacement for the Microsoft .NET initiative. Unlike the
centralization of important Internet functions on Microsoft-controlled
servers, DotGNU will use a decentralized paradigm with personal
information and authorization/authentication functions on the user's own
home or corporate machines, or other distributed network of trusted
intermediaries, like existing Internet service providers or financial
institutions. The site is http://www.gnu.org/projects/dotgnu/.
About FreeDevelopers.net:
FreeDevelopers is an international self-regulatory organization of Free
Software developers for the development of Free Software. The purpose of
FreeDevelopers is to create a viable, for profit, business model for Free
Software development. The commercial principles of the new Intellectual
Age are substantially different from those of the Industrial Age, because
intellectual products are most efficiently produced by an inclusionary
paradigm, not the exclusionary one of the previous epoch. FreeDevelopers
was founded by Tony Stanco, Esq., a former Senior Attorney with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, Internet and software group. Tony
Stanco has a LL.M. in securities regulation from the Georgetown
University Law Center. He is also a Senior Policy Analyst with the
Cyberspace Policy Institute at George Washington University. The site is
http://www.FreeDevelopers.net.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Free Software Foundation
Bradley M. Kuhn <pr(a)gnu.org>
Phone: +1-617-542-5942
FSF and FSMLabs come to agreement on a GPL-compliant version of
RTLinux Open Patent License
Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - The Free
Software Foundation and Finite State Machine Labs (FSMLabs) have come to
an agreement on a fully GPL-compliant version of FSMLabs RTLinux Open
Patent License. FSF and FSMLabs are working to finalize the license
language; FSMLabs will be publishing on its website the text of that
license, with a statement by FSF confirming its GPL-compliant status, in
the very near future.
The FSF has already withdrawn its press statement (issued Friday, 14
September 2001) concerning RTLinux license terms. Our differences turned
out to be mostly a result of unfortunate miscommunications and we urge
everyone to put this dispute behind them. FSF and FSMLabs expect to
continue their cooperation to secure availability of FSMLabs patented
technology for use in GNU/Linux systems.
The FSF thanks FSMLabs for its contribution of this patent license to the
free software community, and for its longstanding support and publication
of free software under the GPL.
About GNU/Linux:
GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. GNU/Linux is the
integrated combination of the GNU operating system with the kernel, Linux,
written by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The various versions of GNU/Linux have
an estimated 20 million users.
Some people call the GNU/Linux system "Linux", but this misnomer leads to
confusion (people cannot tell whether you mean the whole system or the
kernel, one part), and spreads an inaccurate picture of how, when and
where the system was developed. Making a consistent distinction between
GNU/Linux, the whole operating system, and Linux, the kernel, is the best
way to clear up the confusion.
About the Free Software Foundation:
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software---particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants---and free documentation for free software. The FSF
also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software. Their web site, located at
http://www.gnu.org, is an important source of information about GNU/Linux.
They are headquartered in Boston, MA, USA.
This press release is also available at:
http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-09-14-RTLinux.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Free Software Foundation
Bradley M. Kuhn <pr(a)gnu.org>
Phone: +1-617-542-5942
Violation of The GNU General Public License (GPL) by RTLinux
Boston, Massachusetts, USA - September 14, 2001 - The Free Software
Foundation today issued an official statement on violations of the GNU
General Public License (GPL) by RTLinux. Victor Yodaiken, CEO of FSMLabs
(who distribute RTLinux), has used a patent license to impose restricted
terms on distribution of a GPL-covered program. The FSF opposes software
patents, and in addition believes that Yodaiken's patent license violates
the GPL of the kernel named Linux.
Software patents are a harmful government policy of creating monopolies
that restrict computer users. We oppose this policy, and we think it is a
shame that Victor Yodaiken has chosen to obtain a patent for an idea that
we believe should not be, and is not, patentable. The patent covers
real-time interrupt handling using a software emulation layer for
interrupt masking, so that interrupts can be prioritized. There is
significant prior art for this.
Yodaiken has attempted to use the patent to impose restrictive terms on a
GPL-covered program (Linux, the kernel used in the GNU/Linux operating
system). These terms conflict with the GNU General Public License, and
imposing them is a violation of the GPL. We have told Yodaiken this, and
we have told him what license terms would comply with GPL. He, like
everyone, has the reponsibility to comply with the GPL or cease his
infringing distribution. Anyone else redistributing a modified version of
Linux under the restrictive patent license that Yodaiken uses will also be
violating the GPL.
It is up to the copyright holders of Linux to enforce the GNU GPL for
their code. The FSF is not one of them; we have never been involved in
developing Linux, the kernel. The FSF holds the copyright for a number of
other major components of the GNU/Linux operating system, but those
programs are not involved in this issue. So the FSF is not a party to
this issue in a legal sense.
However, we have told Yodaiken that if he remains in violation of the GPL,
we may well choose to support efforts by other companies to invalidate
Yodaiken's patent in the courts, and we may also support actions taken by
others to uphold the GPL.
About GNU/Linux:
GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. GNU/Linux is the
integrated combination of the GNU operating system with the kernel,
Linux.
Calling the GNU/Linux system just "Linux" leads to confusion. Making
consistent distinctions between GNU/Linux, the operating system, and
Linux, the kernel, clears up the confusion.
About the Free Software Foundation:
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software and free documentation for free software. Their web
site, located at http://www.gnu.org/. They are head quartered in Boston,
MA.
URL of this press release:
http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-07-20-FSF-India.html
RICHARD STALLMAN INAUGURATES FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION-INDIA, FIRST
AFFILIATE IN ASIA OF THE FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION
FOR RELEASE: JULY 20, 2001
Richard M. Stallman today officially launched the Free Software
Foundation of India (FSF-India), the first affiliate in Asia of the Free
Software Foundation with a speech at the Freedom First! Conference on Free
Software in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. Yesterday, he was received as an
honored state guest by government officials to discuss the philosophy
behind the movement and the use of free software as a viable,
cost-effective alternative for government, educational institutions, and
businesses, as well as for all the people of India.
"You are entitled to the freedom that free software gives you", Stallman
said. It isn't just in India that people are entitled to an alternative
to proprietary software. The inauguration of FSF-India is a step forward
in the expansion of the Free Software Foundation. Free software
communities around the world are formally organizing, as FSF-India has now
done, with a goal of better assisting businesses, governments, and
educators everywhere to understand the philosophical ideals behind free
software and how these ideals directly create practical advantages to
those who use and create it. Stalman continued "Computer users in India,
as elsewhere, deserve the freedom to share and change software, the way
cooks share and change recipes. So I am pleased to inaugurate the Free
Software Foundation of India, which will promote the use and the
development of free software in this country. At first, FSF-India will
help individuals, communities, schools, governments and enterprises in
India make use of the free software that the rest of the world has already
developed. Over time, FSF-India will lead Indian programmers to
contribute to the human knowledge that free software represents."
"We feel a developing country like India has a special stake in promoting
and encouraging the use of free software," said Satish Babu, of FSF-India.
"It also is a plus, of course, that there are no software license fees to
pay. This is of great importance now that proprietary software companies
are switching to a licensing business model for software, meaning you must
in effect rent the software and continue to pay for it forever. With free
software, if you wish, you can download the software for free, or if a
business or school wishes to buy one CD, it can legally install the same
CD in every computer on site, without having to pay one penny to anyone,
ever again. But there are deeper, more significant benefits. Here in
India, we do need to constantly strive for cost-effective solutions. The
digital divide is of concern everywhere but especially is it so here in
India. Unless we act, the digital divide in India is likely to widen,
particularly so because of the country's many languages and its uneven
literacy levels. Free software can help level the playing field for
emerging nations like India and bridge this divide by encouraging
solidarity, collaboration and voluntary community work amongst programmers
and computer users and invigorate an indigenous software industry."
"Schools in India can benefit by redistributing free software to save on
license fees", Stallman said. "But free software offers a deeper benefit
for education: the knowledge in free software is public knowledge, not
secret. The sealed black box of a proprietary software system is designed
to keep people in the dark. With free software, students can study the
software they use, to learn how it works. They can write improvements to
the software, and thus learn the craft of software development--which
usually consists of improving existing programs."
Dr. Stallman is President and founder of the Free Software Foundation,
head quartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In 1984 Stallman began the
development of the GNU operating system, which today in its GNU/Linux
variants is used by an estimated 20 million people worldwide.
Contacts:
For more information about FSF, contact Bradley Kuhn, email: pr(a)fsf.org
For more information about FSF-India, contact K G Kumar, email: kg(a)myiris.com
GNU homepage: http://www.gnu.org
FSF-India homepage: http://www.fsf.org.in
For more information about the Freedom First! Conference, including
other scheduled speakers and events:
http://gnu.org.in/news/freedomfirst.html
About GNU:
GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. Development of GNU
began in 1984. http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html gives more
information about GNU and its history.
GNU/Linux is the integrated combination of the GNU operating system with
the kernel, Linux, written by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The various
versions of GNU/Linux have an estimated 20 million users.
Some people call the GNU/Linux system "Linux", but this misnomer leads
to confusion (people cannot tell whether you mean the whole system or
the kernel, one part), and spreads an inaccurate picture of how, when
and where the system was developed. Making a consistent distinction
between GNU/Linux, the whole operating system, and Linux, the kernel, is
the best way to clear up the confusion. See
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation.
About the Free Software Foundation:
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software---particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants---and free documentation for free software. Their
web site, located at http://www.gnu.org, is an important source of
information about GNU/Linux. They are head quartered in Boston, MA, USA.
About the Free Software Foundation of India:
FSF-India is head quartered in Trivandrum, Kerala, India, and is
dedicated to eliminating restrictions on copying, redistribution,
understanding, and modification of computer programs by promoting the
development and use of free software in all areas of computing---but
most particularly, by helping to develop the GNU operating system.
Their homepage is http://www.fsf.org.in.
----- End forwarded message -----
-- bkuhn
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