Merge pull request 'adding ZOOOM news item' (#4690) from news-20241230-ZOOOM into master
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<html newsdate="2024-12-31">
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<version>1</version>
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<head>
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<title>The FSFE promotes freedom of software, hardware, and data</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1>The FSFE
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promotes freedom of software, hardware, and data</h1>
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<p>The ZOOOM (3Os) Initiative
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promotes innovation based on freedom of software,
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hardware, and data. With its recent conclusion, the FSFE hopes to
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inspire broader use and effective application of Free Software by
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business, academia, and the public sector.</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/5e/67/310c7cab00c2e138ba401048580e.png"
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alt="ZOOOM project logo"/>
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</figure>
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<p>Free Software, Open Data and Open Hardware are essential building
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blocks for a sustainable and trustworthy industrial and commercial
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ecosystem. Nevertheless, business, academia, and the public sector
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sometimes lack important fundamental understandings of these topics, and
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as
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a result many industries often develop systemic problems by matching
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business models with inappropriate licensing frameworks, or even without
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sufficient frameworks at all.</p>
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<p>To help solve these problems, the FSFE became a partner of the <a
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href="https://zooom4u.eu/">ZOOOM Initiative</a> (3Os – Open Source
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Software, Open Data, Open Hardware), that started in 2022. This European
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project funded by the European Commission aimed to build competence and
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raise awareness on the importance of proper management of these three
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open assets (Software, Hardware, and Data). The FSFE contributed
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specifically in the research and the development of educational
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materials on various topics related to Free Software, tailored for
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industrial and commercial needs. We are pleased to share the outcomes of
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our collaborative work with our ZOOOM partners over the past 2
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years.</p>
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<h3>Innovative research involving open assets </h3>
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<p>Together with our <a
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href="https://zooom4u.eu/index.php/about/zooom-team/">ZOOOM consortium
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partners</a>, we have conducted
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innovative research to understand commonalities and interactions on the
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issues faced when dealing collectively with Free Software, Open
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Hardware, and Open Data. The results have been documented in <a
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href="https://zenodo.org/records/10948750">a report that assists
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stakeholders</a> with
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understanding the 3Os and proposes strategies to align their business
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models with the complexities characterizing each of these open
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ecosystems. </p>
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<p>To support this reporting, the FSFE also
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conducted extensive research and analysis on Free Software legal issues
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for business and innovation. As a result of this work, we have
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contributed to <a href="https://zenodo.org/records/10966136">a review of
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legal cases on issues related to the 3Os</a>, specifically on legal
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cases
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related to Free Software. Those interested in an overview of legal
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issues in open hardware and open data will also find this review
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useful.</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/70/3b/d0cc63ff9da8b9d61d6dab5ab616.png"
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alt="Illustration showing if IP protection exist or not"/>
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<figcaption>
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The ZOOOM project broke AI down into its most fundamental elements, so
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research involving Free Software licensing is facilitated.
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3>Recommendations on Free Software AI licensing</h3>
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<p>Another significant outcome of this European project was the creation
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of <a href="https://zenodo.org/records/10966136">a comprehensive paper
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on Free Software and openness in the area of artificial intelligence
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development</a>.
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This paper examined the convergence of Free Software and AI focusing on
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the legal aspects of licensing</p>
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<p>In the paper, we considered the necessity to promote openness in a
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manner that respects the principles of Free Software, especially in
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light of the various challenges in achieving such openness in AI
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licensing. In particular, we highlighted the uncoordinated growing
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proliferation of licenses claiming to be “free and open source” in the
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AI scene, but that actually impose extra limitations on software freedom
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and that may lead to license incompatibility. </p>
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<p>To improve the situation, we proposed three important
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recommendations:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Preserving openness in AI by safeguarding <a
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href="/freesoftware/freesoftware.html#freedoms">the Four Freedoms of
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Free Software</a>;</li>
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<li>Keeping licensing of AI technologies cohesive and interoperable with
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Free Software licenses;</li>
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<li>Encouraging engagement with civil society actors in initiatives
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aimed to make AI more open, accessible, transparent, and auditable.</li>
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</ol>
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<p>The drafting of these papers with our ZOOOM consortium partners has
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also enabled us to raise awareness among the academic community about
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the importance of Free Software and open concepts, as they relate to
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software, hardware, and data.</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/fe/9b/79568cdf55a1ed7851574b206012.png"
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alt="Illustration from one of the ZOOOM reports."/>
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<figcaption>The hybrid nature of AI,
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involving data and code, poses challenges for licensing. The ZOOOM
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project analysed this in detail from the perspective of Free
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Software.</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3>Development of training materials </h3>
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<p>In addition to these research activities, we contributed to the development of
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<a href="https://zooom4u.eu/index.php/toolkit/">training materials</a>
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intended for any organisation – private or public – to equip users with
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the knowledge and skills needed to navigate Free Software, open
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hardware, and open data. The training toolkit can be especially useful
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for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Europe with
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the necessary skills to adopt strategies and evaluate business modules
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that relate to open technologies.</p>
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<figure>
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<a href="https://media.fsfe.org/w/p/k3sTk7z1K73GkY1DgvtL5r"></a>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/0da56c8e80fb13769adfd7010e20e529.png"
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alt="Legal Education Day logo in a white background with also the FSFE logo on the top right corner"/>
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<figcaption>Check out our <a href="https://media.fsfe.org/w/p/k3sTk7z1K73GkY1DgvtL5r">Legal Education Day playlist</a></figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3>Successful outreach in Europe for Free Software</h3>
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<p>The ZOOOM project also engaged in an extensive awareness campaign to
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promote our work, and general awareness of the principles of Free
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Software, Open Hardware, and Open Data. As part of this campaign, more
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than 40 events were organised. The FSFE spoke at various conferences and
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events across Europe, including at <a
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href="https://archive.fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2750-codes-bound-by-ethics-the-rising-tide-of-non-free-software-licenses-in-ai-ecosystems/">FOSDEM
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2024</a>, <a href="https://media.fsfe.org/w/dnEYF8Fs7NRNC7a2A2BvTz">DORS/CLUC
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2024</a>, <a
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href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_4qp3BePqc&list=PL1e89M45YLyvBD5RQvU155EoCGOjdOomF">and SFSCon
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2022</a></p>
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<p>Additionally, the ZOOOM consortium organized exclusive
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meetups and events involving a broad range of stakeholders (academia,
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public sector and business), to further promote Free Software in <a
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href="https://zooom4u.eu/index.php/2024/03/14/zooom-event-emerging-trends-in-open-technologies/">Ljubljana</a>,
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<a href="https://zooom4u.eu/index.php/2024/06/12/zooom-at-the-open-festival-trento/">Trento</a>,
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and <a
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href="https://zooom4u.eu/index.php/2024/09/20/zooom-final-conference-one-week-to-go-and-so-much-to-learn/">Brussels</a>.
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</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/7f/cb/fb7b5a5e7967bf6913fc94461c9d.jpg"
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alt="Peole from different backgrounds and gender posing for a family ZOOOM picture"/>
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<figcaption>The ZOOOM project allowed the
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FSFE to reach university students, academics, and science folks to raise
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awareness for the importance of Free Software.</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3>Sustainability goal: open science</h3>
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<p>In only two years, the ZOOOM project produced comprehensive research
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merging aspects of Free Software, Open Data and Open Hardware. Focusing
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on the importance of these assets for the future of AI, the initiative
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not only produced scientific materials tackling legal and business
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issues regarding Free Software, but also developed a series of
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recommendations. The next steps are to deploy further the material
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produced, engaging with organisations and individuals interested in
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reusing and developing further the materials.</p>
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<p>If you are interested in knowing more about the wealth of knowledge
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produced by ZOOOM, feel free to reach out!</p>
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</body>
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<tags>
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<tag key="front-page"/>
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<tag key="news">News</tag>
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<tag key="AI">Artificial Intelligence</tag>
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<tag key="european-commission">European Commission</tag>
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<tag key="legal">Legal</tag>
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<tag key="zooom">ZOOOM project</tag>
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</tags>
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<discussion href=""/>
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<image url="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/5e/67/310c7cab00c2e138ba401048580e.png"
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alt="ZOOOM project logo" />
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</html>
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