Re: Software Freedom Conservancy needs our cash
On Tue, Dec 01, 2015 at 01:17:53PM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> As reported here:
> https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/
>
> Conservancy is an amazingly good thing. They are the only
> organisation doing GPL enforcement for non-FSF projects. They are
> facing financial problems because one of their major donors has
> withdrawn. Conservancy's determination to make the GPL stick, by
> lawsuit if necessary, is not popular amongst rich corporates.
>
> I have just signed up. I think any Debian contributor who believes in
> copyleft, and can afford it, should probably sign up too.
>
Signed up yesterday to take advantage of the anonymous offer for matched
funds for several subscriptions :)
> If, like me, you work on copylefted software in your day job, or you
> hope to do so in the future, the GPL is for you not just an important
> tool to help change the world, but also an assurance of your personal
> autonomy.
>
>
> Could Debian as a project sign up ? Conservancy is a 503(c), like
> SPI, so perhaps we in Debian could commit a modest regular funding
> stream to Conservancy.
>
It might be a little more complicated than that given our own 501(c)
status, I think (but I am no longer a lawyer end never was an American
tax lawyer.
> Debian depends heavily on GPL'd software and most of the
> Debian-specific tools we have written over the years are copyleft. We
> depend on our copyleft being enforced to ensure that all users of
> Debian (including users of Debian derivatives) have the freedoms that
> our community (and our Social Contract) promise.
>
> Debian's presence in the list of sponsors would be valuable as an
> example, too.
>
But everybody already knows we care about Free software
All the very best to all,
AndyC
>
> Ian.
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