Free Software Foundation

Free Software Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Richard Stallman in Boston, Massachusetts, with the goal of promoting free software and defending the rights of computer users. The foundation is closely tied to the GNU Project, which was also founded by Richard Stallman in 1983, and has been supported by Linus Torvalds, Alan Cox, and other prominent figures in the free software movement. The foundation has been involved in various high-profile campaigns, including the Defective by Design campaign against Digital Rights Management (DRM) and the Windows 7 Sins campaign against Microsoft Windows. The foundation has also been supported by Eric S. Raymond, Lawrence Lessig, and other notable figures in the free culture movement.

● History

The foundation was founded in 1985 by Richard Stallman, with the initial goal of raising funds for the GNU Project. The foundation was initially supported by Arpanet, Symbolics, and other companies, and has since been supported by IBM, HP, and other major technology companies. The foundation has been involved in various notable events, including the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) lawsuit against University of California, Berkeley, and the SCO-Linux controversies against The SCO Group. The foundation has also been involved in the development of the GNU General Public License (GPL), which has been used by Linux kernel, Apache HTTP Server, and other prominent free software projects. The foundation has worked closely with Debian Project, Ubuntu, and other Linux distributions to promote the use of free software.

● Mission and Philosophy

The foundation's mission is to promote the use of free software and to defend the rights of computer users. The foundation believes that software should be free as in freedom, and that users should have the freedom to run, study, share, and modify software. The foundation is opposed to proprietary software and Digital Rights Management (DRM), which it sees as a threat to the freedom of computer users. The foundation has been influenced by the ideas of John Stuart Mill, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and other philosophers, and has been supported by Electronic Frontier Foundation, Creative Commons, and other organizations that promote digital rights. The foundation has also been involved in the development of the Free Software Definition, which sets out the criteria for free software.

● Activities and Initiatives

The foundation is involved in a variety of activities and initiatives, including the GNU Project, which aims to create a completely free operating system. The foundation also runs the Free Software Directory, which is a catalog of free software packages, and the LibrePlanet wiki, which is a wiki for free software activists. The foundation has also been involved in the development of the Respects Your Freedom certification program, which certifies hardware products that meet certain standards for freedom and user control. The foundation has worked closely with Wikimedia Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, and other organizations to promote the use of free software and to defend the rights of computer users. The foundation has also been involved in the Document Freedom Day campaign, which promotes the use of open standards for document exchange.

● Licensing and Compliance

The foundation is responsible for maintaining the GNU General Public License (GPL), which is one of the most widely used free software licenses. The foundation also provides licensing and compliance services to companies and individuals who want to use free software in their products. The foundation has been involved in several high-profile licensing disputes, including the GPLv2 vs GPLv3 debate, and the Novell-Microsoft patent agreement controversy. The foundation has worked closely with Software Freedom Law Center, Open Invention Network, and other organizations to promote the use of free software licenses and to defend the rights of computer users. The foundation has also been involved in the development of the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), which is used by Wikipedia and other free content projects.

● Criticisms and Controversies

The foundation has been criticized for its strong stance against proprietary software and Digital Rights Management (DRM), which some see as too extreme. The foundation has also been criticized for its handling of the GPLv2 vs GPLv3 debate, and for its involvement in the Novell-Microsoft patent agreement controversy. The foundation has been involved in several high-profile controversies, including the Oracle-Google lawsuit over Java (programming language), and the Apple Inc.-Samsung Electronics lawsuit over smartphone patents. The foundation has worked closely with Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge, and other organizations to defend the rights of computer users and to promote the use of free software. The foundation has also been involved in the Aaron Swartz memorial campaign, which promotes the use of free software and open access to information.

● People and Governance

The foundation is governed by a board of directors, which includes Richard Stallman, Geoffrey Knauth, and other notable figures in the free software movement. The foundation has a staff of several dozen people, including executive director Zoe Kooyman, and program manager Deborah Nicholson. The foundation has been supported by Linus Torvalds, Alan Cox, and other prominent figures in the free software movement, and has worked closely with Debian Project, Ubuntu, and other Linux distributions to promote the use of free software. The foundation has also been involved in the development of the GNU Manifesto, which sets out the foundation's mission and philosophy. The foundation has been recognized for its work by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), European Commission, and other organizations that promote digital rights and free software. Category:Free software