[FSFE PR][EN] FSFE: Stop unfair advertising - get your government to promote free PDF readers!

[press at fsfeurope.org]

= FSFE: Stop unfair advertising - get your government to promote free
PDF readers! =

[Permanent URL : http://www.fsfe.org/news/2010/news-20100913-01.en.html]

The Free Software Foundation Europe calls on all Europeans to seek out
advertisements for proprietary PDF readers on their government's
websites, and report them [1]. In addition, FSFE has prepared
a petition [2] demanding an end to such advertising practices, and
encourages the public to sign it .

"Every time that state websites link to non-free applications and
encourage visitors to use them, they needlessly encourage citizens to
throw away their freedom", says Karsten Gerloff, FSFE's President.

As websites such as pdfreaders.org [3] demonstrate, Free
Software PDF readers exist for all major operating systems. Fellows of
FSFE launched the project in 2009 in response to public bodies' habit
of advertising a particular non-free product on their sites.

FSFE's Fellowship Coordinator Matthias Kirschner comments: "What would
you think about a sign on the highway saying 'You need a Volkswagen to
drive on this road. Contact your Volkswagen dealer for a gratis test
drive'? When it comes to PDF readers, governments seem to think that
this is acceptable."

Such endorsements give unfair advantage to whichever proprietary
product they recommend, and are often accompanied by inaccurate
statements presenting the application as the only available option.

The hunt begins on September 13th, and will continue until October
17th 2010. Prizes will be awarded at the end of October to the
individuals and groups who report the greatest number of proprietary
software advertisements on government websites.

Happy hunting!

  1. www.fsfe.org/campaigns/pdfreaders/pdfreaders.html
  2. www.fsfe.org/campaigns/pdfreaders/petition.html
  3. http://pdfreaders.org/">pdfreaders.org

== 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/