Award for the Advancement of Free Software

The Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software is presented annually by FSF president Richard Stallman to an individual who has made a great contribution to the progress and development of free software, through activities that accord with the spirit of free software.

Last year, Sébastien Jodogne was recognized with the Award for the Advancement of Free Software for his work on free software medical imaging with his project Orthanc. Jodogne joined a prestigious list of previous winners including Matthew Garrett, Dr. Fernando Perez, Yukihiro Matsumoto, Rob Savoye, John Gilmore, Wietse Venema, Harald Welte, Ted Ts'o, Andrew Tridgell, Theo de Raadt, Alan Cox, Larry Lessig, Guido van Rossum, Brian Paul, Miguel de Icaza, and Larry Wall.

Award for Projects of Social Benefit

Nominations are also sought for the 2015 Award for Projects of Social Benefit.

The Award for Projects of Social Benefit is presented to the project or team responsible for applying free software, or the ideas of the free software movement, in a project that intentionally and significantly benefits society in other aspects of life.

We look to recognize projects or teams that encourage people to cooperate in freedom to accomplish tasks of great social benefit, and those that apply free software ideas and lessons outside the free software community. A long-term commitment to one's project (or the potential for a long-term commitment) is crucial to this end.

This award stresses the use of free software in the service of humanity. We have deliberately chosen this broad criterion so that many different areas of activity can be considered. However, one area that is not included is that of free software itself. Projects with a primary goal of promoting or advancing free software are not eligible for this award (we honor individuals working on those projects with our annual Award for the Advancement of Free Software).

We will consider any project or team that uses free software or its philosophy to address a goal important to society. To qualify, a project must use free software, produce free documentation, or use the idea of free software as defined in the Free Software Definition. Projects that promote or depend on the use of non-free software are not eligible for this award. Commercial projects are not excluded, but commercial success is not our scale for judging projects.

Last year, Reglue received the award, in recognition of its work giving GNU/Linux computers to underprivileged children and their families in Austin, TX. According to Reglue, Austin has an estimated 5,000 school-age children who cannot afford a computer or Internet access. Since 2005, Reglue has given over 1,100 computers to these children and their families. Reglue's strategy diverts computers from the waste stream, gives them new life with free software, and puts them in the hands of people who need these machines to advance their education and gain access to the Internet.

Other previous winners have included the GNOME Outreach Program for Women (now Outreachy), OpenMRS, GNU Health, Tor, the Internet Archive, Creative Commons, Groklaw, the Sahana project, and Wikipedia.

Eligibility

In the case of both awards, previous winners are not eligible for nomination, but renomination of other previous nominees is encouraged. Only individuals are eligible for nomination for the Advancement of Free Software Award (not projects), and only projects can be nominated for the Social Benefit Award (not individuals). For a list of previous winners, please visit https://www.fsf.org/awards.

Current FSF staff and board members, as well as award committee members, are not eligible.

The tentative award committee members are: Hong Feng, Marina Zhurakhinskaya, Yukihiro Matsumoto, Suresh Ramasubramanian, Fernanda Weiden, Matthew Garrett, Jonas Öberg, Wietse Venema, Vernor Vinge, Rob Savoy, Harald Welte, and Andrew Tridgell.

Instructions

After reviewing the eligibility rules above, please send your nominations to award-nominations@gnu.org, on or before Sunday, November 1st, 2015 at 23:59 UTC. Please submit nominations in the following format:

• In the email message subject line, either put the name of the person you are nominating for the Award for Advancement of Free Software, or put the name of the project for the Award for Projects of Social Benefit.

• Please include, in the body of your message, an explanation (forty lines or less) of the work done and why you think it is especially important to the advancement of software freedom or how it benefits society, respectively.

• Please state, in the body of your message, where to find the materials (e.g., software, manuals, or writing) which your nomination is based on.

Information about the previous awards can be found at https://www.fsf.org/awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the LibrePlanet conference, March 19-20 2016, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

Media Contacts

Georgia Young
Program Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

Microsoft uses draconian laws to prevent anyone from popping the hood on Windows and studying the source code that underlies it. Because of this, the world's most widespread computer system is completely outside the control of its users. This puts Microsoft in a dominant position over its customers, which it takes advantage of to treat them as a product. In fact, Microsoft announced that, with Windows 10, it will begin forcing lower-paying users to test less-secure new updates before giving higher-paying users the option of whether or not to adopt them.

Increased public scrutiny has forced Microsoft to adjust its advertising to focus on how secure it is and how well it protects privacy. But who does it secure and protect? Certainly not the user. Since Windows 10 is nonfree software, users and independent security experts can't access the source code, so they are forced to take Microsoft's word for it that their computers are safe and their data is being used responsibly. And it hardly seems warranted to trust a company that is reported to give the NSA special security tip-offs that it could use to crack into Windows computers.

Advertising companies are surely licking their chops over Windows 10's new privacy policy, which asserts the privilege to sell almost any information it wants about users, even creating a unique advertising ID for each user to increase sweeten the deal.

By contrast, free software like the GNU/Linux operating system is developed by professional and volunteer communities working transparently, freely sharing their work with each other and the world. Users have meaningful influence over the software development process and complete choice over what code they run. This means the software usually treats them with respect. Even if a free software developer took a page from Microsoft's book and began abusing its users, it would have no way to keep them locked in -- when this happens, independent experts copy the source code, remove the offending bits and help people switch to the user-respecting version.

Because it is fundamentally insecure and scoffs at privacy, Windows is an open window onto you. Because it locks users and independent experts out of the development process, it is also a locked door to your computer, and only Microsoft has the key. If you are considering replacing your operating system with Windows 10, we hope you switch to GNU/Linux instead. Join thousands of others and pledge to try GNU/Linux today.

The FSF maintains a list of endorsed GNU/Linux distributions, and there are myriad resources online for getting started. If you want to try free software but you can't be persuaded to leave Windows quite yet, try these free programs that work on Windows. If you are thinking about buying a new computer, check out the laptops we certify through our Respects Your Freedom program. If you're the type that builds their own computer, use h-node, the community-maintained database of computer components that work well with free software.

We can't hope to match Microsoft's huge advertising budget, but if you're on social media (see our recommendations for user-respecting social media systems) you can help raise awareness of Windows' abuses and encourage people to switch, in your own words. Help us jam Microsoft's ridiculous #UpgradeYourWorld hashtag by including it in your posts encouraging people to steer clear of Windows.

Media Contacts

Zak Rogoff
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

The event homepage is https://fsf.org/fsf30/celebration and the RSVP form is open. The FSF encourages use of the hashtag #FSF30 on social media (read the foundation's position on different social media platforms).

The FSF is also planning a mini-conference, also on October 3, during the day, where the free software community will share lessons from its first thirty years and plan for the future. The foundation may also hold a fundraising dinner on Friday, October 2nd.

Volunteer or Sponsor

The FSF is seeking volunteers to help set up the venue and greet guests. Individuals with skills in free software livestreaming are also needed. All volunteers will receive a special reverse birthday gift from the FSF.

The foundation is also seeking general event, beer, or food sponsors. To sponsor or recommend a sponsor, or to volunteer, contact campaigns@fsf.org.

Satellite events

Supporters around the world have already expressed interest in holding their own local events for the FSF's birthday. The foundation would be delighted to cover these events on its blog or come up with a creative way of connecting them to the event in Boston. Please contact campaigns@fsf.org if you are interested in organizing a satellite event.

Streaming

The FSF intends to livestream the event and post videos online afterwards. Volunteers with free software video skills are needed as well.

Read the New Yorker article, The GNU Manifesto Turns Thirty by Maria Bustillos.

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, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

Media Contacts

Georgia Young
Program Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

This update now makes Canonical's policy unequivocally comply with the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) and other free software licenses. It does this by adding a "trump clause" that prevails in all situations possibly covered by the policy:

Ubuntu is an aggregate work of many works, each covered by their own license(s). For the purposes of determining what you can do with specific works in Ubuntu, this policy should be read together with the license(s) of the relevant packages. For the avoidance of doubt, where any other license grants rights, this policy does not modify or reduce those rights under those licenses.

In July 2013, the FSF, after receiving numerous complaints from the free software community, brought serious problems with the policy to Canonical's attention. Since then, on behalf of the FSF, the GNU Project, and a coalition of other concerned free software activists, we have engaged in many conversations with Canonical's management and legal team proposing and analyzing significant revisions of the overall text. We have worked closely throughout this process with the Software Freedom Conservancy, who provides their expert analysis in a statement published today.

While the FSF acknowledges that the first update emerging from that process solves the most pressing issue with the policy -- its interference with users' rights under the GNU GPL and potentially other copyleft licenses covering individual works within Ubuntu -- the policy remains problematic in ways that prevent us from endorsing it as a model for others. The FSF will continue to provide feedback to Canonical in the days ahead, and urge them to make additional changes.

Today's "trump clause" makes clear that, for example, Canonical's requirement that users recompile Ubuntu packages from source code before redistributing them is not intended to and does not override the GPL's explicit permission for users to redistribute covered packages in binary form (with no recompilation requirement) as long as they also provide the corresponding source.

While this change handles the situation for works covered by the GPL, it does not help works covered by lax permissive licenses (such as the X11 license) that do allow such additional restrictions. With that in mind, the FSF has urged Canonical to not only respect the GPL but to also change its terms to remove restrictions on any of the free works it distributes, no matter which license covers that software. In the meantime, this is a useful reminder that developers are nearly always better off choosing copyleft licenses like the GPL in order to prevent others from imposing arbitrary restrictions on users.

Further, the patent language in the current policy should be replaced with a real pledge to only make defensive use of patents and to not initiate litigation against other free software developers. The trademark policy should be revised to provide better guidance to downstream distributors so that they can be confident they know exactly where and when trademarks need to be removed in order to comply with the policy.

Canonical, in our conversations, repeatedly expressed that it is their full intention to liberally allow use of their trademarks and patents by community projects, and not to interfere with the exercise of rights under any copyleft license covering works within Ubuntu. While we appreciate today's development and do see it as a big step in that direction, we hope they will further revise the policy so that users, to the greatest extent possible, know their rights in advance rather than having to inquire about them or negotiate them. To this end, it will be important to choose language and terms that emphasize freedom over power and avoid terms like intellectual property, which spread bias and confusion.

It would be helpful for the FSF, as we evaluate the importance of the remaining work like this to be done with Canonical in relation to the other activities of the FSF's Licensing and Compliance Lab (such as doing GPL enforcement, and developing public educational materials about free software licensing), to know how significantly you, as a free software user, see this policy affecting your rights. Please contact us at licensing@fsf.org, and Canonical via their contact form.

Donations to support the work of the FSF's Licensing and Compliance Lab in safeguarding your freedoms can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Over 80% of the FSF's annual funding comes from individuals like you.

Lastly, we wish to thank FSF general counsel Eben Moglen and everyone at the Software Freedom Law Center for their pro bono legal counsel and extensive participation in the conversations of the last two years.

The FSF's list consists of ready-to-use full GNU/Linux systems whose developers have made a commitment to follow the Guidelines for Free System Distributions. This means each distro includes and steers users toward exclusively free software. All distros on this list reject nonfree software, including firmware "blobs" and nonfree documentation.

ProteanOS is a new, small, and fast distribution that primarily targets embedded devices, but is also being designed to be part of the boot system of laptops and other devices. The lead maintainer of ProteanOS is P. J. McDermott, who is working closely with the Libreboot project and hopes to have ProteanOS be part of the boot system of Libreboot-compatible devices.

"ProteanOS combines the ease of installation of a binary distribution with the flexibility of a source distribution or build system: its platform configuration feature allows binary packages to be configured at build-time and run-time for different hardware and use cases," said McDermott.

The distro is being independently developed and is not based on other distributions. Users and potential contributors will find a complete toolchain with which the distro can build all of its own packages. Those interested in contributing to ProteanOS can start by joining the project mailing list and looking over the developer documentation.

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, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://my.fsf.org/donate/. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See https://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see https://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html.

Media Contacts

Joshua Gay
Licensing & Compliance Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
licensing@fsf.org