From: Petter Reinholdtsen Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2015 08:53:24 +0000 (+0100) Subject: New post. X-Git-Url: https://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/commitdiff_plain/7647a67483b24f38d804729e5fe4d14e56936a83?ds=inline New post. --- diff --git a/blog/data/2015-11-30-software-freedom-conservancy-support.txt b/blog/data/2015-11-30-software-freedom-conservancy-support.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e724832257 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/data/2015-11-30-software-freedom-conservancy-support.txt @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ +Title: The GNU General Public License is not magic pixie dust" +Tags: english, opphavsrett, debian, debian edu +Date: 2015-11-30 09:55 + +

A blog post from my fellow Debian developer Paul Wise titled +"The +GPL is not magic pixie dust" explain the importance of making sure +the Become a Software Freedom Conservancy Supporter!

+ +
+The GPL is not magic pixie dust. It does not work by itself.
+ +The first step is to choose a +copyleft license for your +code.
+ +The next step is, when someone fails to follow that copyleft license, +it must be enforced
+ +and its a simple fact of our modern society that such type of +work
+ +is incredibly expensive to do and incredibly difficult to do. +
+ +

-- Bradley Kuhn, in +FaiF +episode +0x57

+ +

As the Debian Website +used +to +imply, public domain and permissively licensed software can lead to +the production of more proprietary software as people discover useful +software, extend it and or incorporate it into their hardware or +software products. Copyleft licenses such as the GNU GPL were created +to close off this avenue to the production of proprietary software but +such licenses are not enough. With the ongoing adoption of Free +Software by individuals and groups, inevitably the community's +expectations of license compliance are violated, usually out of +ignorance of the way Free Software works, but not always. As Karen +and Bradley explained in FaiF +episode 0x57, +copyleft is nothing if no-one is willing and able to stand up in court +to protect it. The reality of today's world is that legal +representation is expensive, difficult and time consuming. With +gpl-violations.org in hiatus +until +some time in 2016, the Software +Freedom Conservancy (a tax-exempt charity) is the major defender +of the Linux project, Debian and other groups against GPL violations. +In March the SFC supported a +lawsuit +by Christoph Hellwig against VMware for refusing to +comply +with the GPL in relation to their use of parts of the Linux +kernel. Since then two of their sponsors pulled corporate funding and +conferences +blocked +or cancelled their talks. As a result they have decided to rely +less on corporate funding and more on the broad community of +individuals who support Free Software and copyleft. So the SFC has +launched +a campaign to create +a community of folks who stand up for copyleft and the GPL by +supporting their work on promoting and supporting copyleft and Free +Software.

+ +

If you support Free Software, +like +what the SFC do, agree with their +compliance +principles, are happy about their +successes in 2015, +work on a project that is an SFC +member and or +just want to stand up for copyleft, please join +Christopher +Allan Webber, +Carol +Smith, +Jono +Bacon, myself and +others in +becoming a +supporter. For the +next week your donation will be +matched +by an anonymous donor. Please also consider asking your employer to +match your donation or become a sponsor of SFC. Don't forget to +spread the word about your support for SFC via email, your blog and or +social media accounts.

+ + + +

I agree with Paul on this topic and just signed up as a Supporter +of Software Freedom Conservancy myself. Perhaps you should be a +supporter too?