4 ms·

If I was a billionaire this is the sort of thing I'd fund. Like the EFF but specifically for open source developers and projects.

a2800276 4y ago
Luckily you can fund the EFF now, all without having to become a billionaire!
- throwwwaway69 4y ago
  Already a member :)
kube-system 4y ago
A foundation, just for free software? https://www.fsf.org/ https://www.fsf.org/
- bionade24 4y ago
  The FSF says they only care about the GNU project license violations. https://sfconservancy.org/ https://sfconservancy.org/ has an actual record of fighting against license violations.
  - seabass-labrax 4y ago
    GNU generally requires that contributors assign their copyright to the FSF, which is what allows the FSF to litigate; they can't do this for software that they don't hold copyright to. The Software Freedom Conservancy, on the other hand, holds partial copyright to each of their many member projects' software and chooses to actively enforce the GNU GPL on that code quite frequently. The SFC's ongoing case against Vizio in California[1] appears to show that violators of the GNU GPL can be sued by users, not just copyright holders. If this case sets precedent elsewhere in the USA and even in other countries, then organisations like the FSF and SFC will have far more options in what violations they choose to litigate. However, this also opens up the risk of 'GPL trolls' who might not be motivated by the same principles[2]. [1]: https://sfconservancy.org/press/vizio-coverage.html https://sfconservancy.org/press/vizio-coverage.html [2]: https://www.fsf.org/licensing/enforcement-principles https://www.fsf.org/licensing/enforcement-principles
    - pabs3 4y ago
      Such trolls could only get GPL compliance, not damages though? So not much incentive for them to become trolls at all.
pabs3 4y ago
Conservancy do GPL enforcement and you can donate: https://sfconservancy.org/donate/ https://sfconservancy.org/donate/ Their lawsuit against Vizio is especially interesting: https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html

a2800276 4y ago

Luckily you can fund the EFF now, all without having to become a billionaire!

throwwwaway69 4y ago
Already a member :)

kube-system 4y ago

A foundation, just for free software? https://www.fsf.org/ https://www.fsf.org/

bionade24 4y ago
The FSF says they only care about the GNU project license violations. https://sfconservancy.org/ https://sfconservancy.org/ has an actual record of fighting against license violations.
- seabass-labrax 4y ago
  GNU generally requires that contributors assign their copyright to the FSF, which is what allows the FSF to litigate; they can't do this for software that they don't hold copyright to. The Software Freedom Conservancy, on the other hand, holds partial copyright to each of their many member projects' software and chooses to actively enforce the GNU GPL on that code quite frequently. The SFC's ongoing case against Vizio in California[1] appears to show that violators of the GNU GPL can be sued by users, not just copyright holders. If this case sets precedent elsewhere in the USA and even in other countries, then organisations like the FSF and SFC will have far more options in what violations they choose to litigate. However, this also opens up the risk of 'GPL trolls' who might not be motivated by the same principles[2]. [1]: https://sfconservancy.org/press/vizio-coverage.html https://sfconservancy.org/press/vizio-coverage.html [2]: https://www.fsf.org/licensing/enforcement-principles https://www.fsf.org/licensing/enforcement-principles
  - pabs3 4y ago
    Such trolls could only get GPL compliance, not damages though? So not much incentive for them to become trolls at all.

pabs3 4y ago

Conservancy do GPL enforcement and you can donate: https://sfconservancy.org/donate/ https://sfconservancy.org/donate/ Their lawsuit against Vizio is especially interesting: https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html