Recent blog posts
FSF Supports Proposed Exemptions to DMCA Anti-Circumvention Rules
The Free Software Foundation submitted comments to support exemptions to allow users to install free software on all kinds of devices, and view and play media encumbered with Digital Restrictions Management (DRM).
Apple's ebook sales restrictions: the newest reason to use free software
Last week, Apple announced ebook authoring software called iBooks Author. As you would expect from Apple, the software is completely proprietary—but the license includes some terms that are so restrictive, they shock even Apple's fans.
The Mozilla Public License version 2.0 is out—and GPL-compatible!
Earlier this week, the Mozilla Foundation published the Mozilla Public License (MPL) version 2.0. This is a major update to their flagship license, which covers most of the Foundation's own free software projects, as well as others'.
Fixing rogue printers: don't trade one security threat for another
Printers that can be reprogrammed by malicious print jobs are a security risk. So are printers that only run code signed by the manufacturer. For real security, printers should be running free software controlled by its owners.
Amazon's Kindle source code: Much ado about nothing
This week there's been a lot of fuss about Amazon releasing source code for software on its Kindle devices, including the Kindle Fire. A lot of the hype we've seen is simply unwarranted; while you can download the source code that Amazon was legally required to publish, most of the software on the device remains proprietary, and every Kindle is still Defective by Design.
Introducing the Compliance Lab's summer intern
William Theaker recently started working at the FSF as this summer's licensing intern. In this post, he writes about what brought him to free software, and the goals for his internship.
Announcing our license recommendations guide
We've compiled a single resource that guides you through the process of choosing a license for new software, documentation, and other functional data.
Parabola GNU/Linux joins the FSF list of free distributions
Parabola GNU/Linux is a full featured general-purpose distribution that's committed to only including free software.
Another High Priority Project done: The Unarchiver provides free RARv3 extraction tools
This collection of software fills an important gap in free software support for different archives.
Good news about the Novell/CPTN deal
Earlier this week the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) announced a joint decision regarding Novell's proposal to sell 882 patents to CPTN Holdings, newly formed by Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, and EMC. The authorities ultimately approved the sale, but with conditions that prevent the companies from using the patents to attack free software.
