Urgent Call to Action: Save Free Software this September

[Alexander Sander]

Hello all,

In the context of our https://savecodeshare.eu/ campaign we just
published this call to action:
https://fsfe.org/news/2018/news-20180905-02.html - We would be happy if
you spread this message to your networks:


Call to Action: Save Free Software this September

Free Software is at risk! On the 12th of September the EU is getting
ready to vote on a "Copyright Reform" package, which undermines the
foundations upon which Free Software is built. The proposed Article 13
of the EU Copyright Directive targets every online service that allows
its users to upload and share content with each other, including code
hosting platforms.

Let's call upon European policy makers to delete the threat posed
against Free Software in the Copyright Directive.

The widespread reuse of Free Software is a foundation of the Internet,
as code can be used, studied, shared and improved by each user. It would
be wrong to take this freedom for granted. Since most of the internet
medium is compiled and reused as Free Software, the ruling would
dismantle the media ecosystem.

We are getting ready for the EU's vote on a "Copyright Reform" package,
in order to remove a section of its terms and conditions that looks to
hamper Free Software development and code-sharing. Every Internet user,
who shares information, media, and code with the public, has been
targeted in the proposed directive. The idea in Article 13 is that Free
Software is a cause for copyright violations and that, therefore,
upload-filters should be created by internet platforms.

There are even a variety of types of governmental organisations,
facilitated and powered by Free Software. In fact, on just one of the
major code hosting platforms, over 128 government organisations from
over 17 European governments have, in total, licensed 4594 instances of
Free Software on code-hosting platforms, at the time of writing. [1]
They are, as follows: Open Government initiatives, Cutural heritage
directories, Ecology research departments and agencies, Digitalisation
projects, Emergency Services, Information Systems, Election Services,
Transport networks, Education institutions, Energy services, Mapping and
Geographical research institutes, Statistical bureaus, Business
departments, Law courts, Security groups, and Departments of Finance.

So, for those inside the EU, now's the time to do your bit and to
communicate with an MEP, who represents your country, in order to notify
your support for Free Software in the face of Article 13 in the
Copyright Directive.

Do that at https://saveyourinternet.eu, where there are tips on who and
how to address and send your message. When you're ready, you can even
use a tool [2], created by EDRi and Open Media, to directly call and
e-mail your MEP.

Let's call upon European policy makers to delete the threat posed
against Free and Open Source Software in the Copyright Directive.

Best regards,
Alex


[1] https://government.github.com/community/
[2] https://www.liberties.eu/en/news/copyright-campaign-call-your-mep/14733


-- 
Alexander Sander - EU Public Policy Programme Manager
Free Software Foundation Europe
Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10119 Berlin, Germany | t +49-151 923 472 12
Registered at Amtsgericht Hamburg, VR 17030  |   (fsfe.org/join)