[FSFE PR][EN] FSFE Launching Freedom Task Force, Co-operating with gpl-violations.org

[Free Software Foundation Europe]

FSFE Launching Freedom Task Force, Co-operating with gpl-violations.org

     FTF to educate programmers and corporations on how to avoid
     licensing problems, as well as enforce Free Software licences

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) announced today the launch
of the Freedom Task Force, [1] thanks to a grant of EUR 30.000 from
Stichting NLnet.  The organisation, working closely with Harald Welte
of gpl-violations.org [2], seeks to help programmers properly set up
and organise projects legally, as well as educate companies to
understand how the GPL works.  As needed, the purpose of the group
will also include enforcement in the case of licence violations.  FTF
is located in FSFE's offices in Zurich, Switzerland.

"Free Software itself has become commercial mainstream, but knowledge
about Free Software and in particular its licences is often lagging
behind," explains Georg Greve, FSFE's president. "With large companies
like SUN embracing Free Software at the heart of their business, the
software ecosystem is transforming in ways that underline the
requirement for services like the FTF."

FTF will include experts with technical and legal backgrounds as well
as volunteers, working together to provide organised and co-ordinated
responses to individual cases where there may be misunderstandings
about what a licence requires or a violation of its terms.  FSFE has
hired Mr. Shane Coughlan to serve as FTF Co-ordinator.

Shane Coughlan on the other tasks of the FTF: "We seek to give
commercial and non-commercial Free Software developers the maximum
support possible with our fiduciary activities. By helping them bundle
their legal interests, we are able to safeguard the legal status of a
project while it can focus on technological and managerial issues. For
projects that FSFE has accepted into its fiduciary program, FSFE will
also be in a position to defend their interests in the eventuality of
licence violation."

Harald Welte, the first person who enforced the GNU GPL in court, will
be working closely with the FTF: "My gpl-violations.org work has shown
how much the community needs a more focussed approach to deal with
these violations. While there was good contact with FSFE in the past,
we will now be working closely together, sharing our information and
resources to best protect the rights of Free Software developers."

"We have as a primary goal to help corporations to adhere to the
licences from the onset, rather than to have to enforce violations
later," explains Mr. Coughlan.  "We encourage those responsible for
compliance for their company to contact us, so we can work together to
avoid licence compliance problems, rather than having to later solve
problems that could have been avoided in the first place."

Stichting NLnet [3] Chairman Teus Hagen expressed pleasure at the
launch of FTF: "We are very happy to support the launch of the FTF
because in our view this is a timely and necessary step to consolidate
Free Software. We ourselves at times felt the need for a reliable
partner to handle these issues, and in our experience the FSFE is such
a partner. We hope that many others will contribute to and support
this effort, and see the FTF as an important step in the maturing of
Free Software."

[1] http://fsfeurope.org/ftf
[2] http://gpl-violations.org
[3] http://www.nlnet.nl


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.

   Further information: http://fsfeurope.org


About gpl-violations.org:

   In the past 30 months, gpl-violations.org has helped uncover and
   negotiate more than 100 GPL violations and has obtained numerous
   out-of-court settlement agreements. The gpl-violations.org project
   is a not-for-profit effort to bring commercial users and vendors of
   Free Software into compliance with the licence conditions as set
   forth by the original authors.  The project was founded and is
   managed by Mr. Harald Welte, a Linux Kernel developer and Free
   Software enthusiast.

   For more information on the project, its mission, milestones and
   goals, please see http://gpl-violations.org


Contact:

   Free Software Foundation Europe
    Belgium:     +32   2 747 03 57
    Switzerland: +41  43 500 03 66
    UK:          +44  29 200 08 17 7
    Germany:     +49 700 373 38 76 73

   Shane Coughlan, FTF Co-ordinator, FSFE extension: 408

   Joachim Jakobs, Media Relations,  FSFE extension: 404
                                             mobile: +49-179-6919565