339 lines
17 KiB
HTML
339 lines
17 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
|
|
<html newsdate="2009-06-20">
|
|
<version>1</version>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<head>
|
|
<title>Two year executive summary</title>
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
|
|
<h1>Two year executive summary - Report for the 2009 General Assembly</h1>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The 2009 general assembly marks the end of FSFEs third major
|
|
transformation process, which began at the 2007 assembly in Brussels.
|
|
This transformation included changes to
|
|
<a href="/about/legal/constitution.html">FSFE's constitution</a>, which
|
|
were discussed during the general assembly in 2007, prepared by the
|
|
Extended Executive Committee for the 2008 assembly in Zürich and
|
|
ultimately adopted during an extraordinary assembly in October that year.
|
|
The two most important changes made were the introduction of an executive
|
|
director position, and the addition of
|
|
<a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">Fellowship</a> representation to
|
|
FSFE's general assembly.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
With the hiring of <a href="/about/holz/holz.html">Christian Holz</a> as
|
|
executive director and the election of Torsten Grote as the first
|
|
Fellowship representative into FSFE's general assembly the mandate given
|
|
to the Executive Council by FSFE's 2007 assembly has been fulfilled and
|
|
the organisation has now reached maturity.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Meanwhile FSFE's work intensified in a variety of areas, and the
|
|
<a href="/about/funds/funds.html">organisation's budget</a> reached
|
|
<a href="/about/funds/2008.html">380K EUR in 2008</a>, continuing the upward
|
|
trend of the past eight years. This report will summarise some of the
|
|
important milestones that were achieved over the past two years.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>European Union: Microsoft Antitrust Decision & New Investigation</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The <a href="/activities/ms-vs-eu/ms-vs-eu.html">work</a> that began for
|
|
FSFE in 2001 with the
|
|
<a href="/activities/ms-vs-eu/application-1.0.pdf">initial application</a>
|
|
to provide Free Software perspective and expertise to the antitrust
|
|
investigation of the European Commission against Microsoft, that
|
|
continued through the
|
|
<a href="/activities/ms-vs-eu/monti-samba-submission.pdf">joint submission with the Samba team</a>
|
|
in 2004 and joint work during the European Court of First Instance (CFI)
|
|
case in 2005, 2006 and 2007 finally came to a conclusion with a
|
|
<a href="https://lists.fsfe.org/pipermail/press-release/2007q3/000186.html">triumphant victory for interoperability</a>
|
|
in September 2007.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
As the
|
|
<a href="http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070923170905803">resulting discussion highlighted</a>,
|
|
FSFE had broken new ground as the first Free Software organisation to
|
|
actively get involved in antitrust activity, and this case demonstrated
|
|
that it was possible to protect Free Software interests against monopoly
|
|
abuse. The current increase in antitrust action against abusive practices
|
|
brought forward by various groups, e.g.
|
|
<a href="http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/red-hat-sues-switzerland-over-microsoft-monopoly-965">in Switzerland</a>,
|
|
is an encouraging sign.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Meanwhile FSFE continued its activity in this area through
|
|
<a href="/news/2009/news-20090227-01.html">support of the antitrust complaints</a>
|
|
brought forward by the <a href="http://www.ecis.eu/">European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS)</a>,
|
|
and Opera. ECIS published a noteworthy summary paper on
|
|
<a href="http://www.ecis.eu/documents/Finalversion_Consumerchoicepaper.pdf">Microsoft's history of anticompetitive behaviour and consumer harm</a>
|
|
that demonstrates why this work is so highly necessary. Only by being
|
|
present can FSFE ensure that the solutions found will not exclude Free
|
|
Software, e.g. by accepting RAND practices that are also common in
|
|
standardisation and a major obstacle for Free Software, as explained in
|
|
FSFE's
|
|
<a href="/freesoftware/standards/ps.html">Analysis on Balance: Standardisation and Patents</a>.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>Open Standards</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Helping develop a
|
|
<a href="https://blogs.fsfe.org/greve/?p=160">common understanding</a> of
|
|
<a href="/freesoftware/standards/standards.html">Open Standards</a> and promoting their adoption
|
|
has in fact permeated the work of FSFE in various ways. This includes the
|
|
EU-funded SELF project which terminated in 2008 and for which FSFE
|
|
developed the
|
|
<a href="/activities/self/SELF-LegalPolicy-0.9_1.pdf">SELF Legal Policy</a>
|
|
and provides <a href="/activities/ftf/fiduciary.html">fiduciary services</a>.
|
|
It spans FSFE's work at the United Nations, such as the
|
|
<a href="/activities/igf/igf.html">Internet Governance Forum (IGF)</a> and the
|
|
<a href="/activities/wipo/wipo.html">World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)</a>,
|
|
and the work with the European Commission, most importantly discussions
|
|
around the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and the European
|
|
Software Strategy. But three issues stood out during the past two
|
|
years.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The most visible issue was most likely the debate around the Microsoft
|
|
OfficeOpenXML (OOXML) format, for which Microsoft had contracted ECMA's
|
|
services to push it through ISO before anyone would catch on to the
|
|
issues. FSFE
|
|
<a href="http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20061208135621706">took the lead</a>
|
|
in alerting the Free Software community to the dangers that MS-OOXML
|
|
presented. FSFE's staff and volunteers actively participated directly in
|
|
the process through national standardisation bodies, e.g. Switzerland,
|
|
Serbia and Italy, as well as indirectly through
|
|
<a href="/activities/msooxml/msooxml-questions.html">various publications</a>
|
|
on MS-OOXML to support the work of the diverse global community that
|
|
stood together in defence of the Open Document Format (ODF). The debate
|
|
culminated February 2008 around the MS-OOXML Ballot Resolution Meeting
|
|
(BRM), where FSFE's
|
|
<a href="/activities/ftf/ftf.html">Freedom Task Force</a> Coordinator
|
|
Shane Coughlan coordinated
|
|
the activities to highlight the
|
|
<a href="/activities/msooxml/msooxml-interoperability.html">many critical flaws</a>
|
|
in the MS-OOXML format.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
But FSFE did not focus its attention on defensive work alone. Thanks to
|
|
the work done by FSFE's
|
|
Serbian team, most notably Ivan
|
|
Jelic, but also Marko Milenovic and others, 26 March 2008 saw the first
|
|
global day for document liberation, the
|
|
<a href="http://documentfreedom.org/">Document Freedom Day (DFD)</a>.
|
|
Similar in design and complementary to the Software Freedom Day (SFD),
|
|
the DFD is a day to bring together groups with a common interest in Open
|
|
Standards, to help create awareness for the importance of Open Standards.
|
|
While FSFE has provided initiative, logistical and coordinative support
|
|
to DFD, it does not seek to control it. The DFD is owned by the many
|
|
entities and people around the world that made it their own and declared
|
|
their support, including, but not limited to,
|
|
<a href="http://www.ansol.org/">ANSOL</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.arsaperta.com/">Ars Aperta</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.cossdev.com/">COSS</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.esoma.org/">Esoma</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.estandaresabiertos.org/">Estándares Abiertos</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.ffii.org/">FFII</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.libre.org/fkf">Free Knowledge Foundation</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.fsf.org/">Free Software Foundation</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.fsfla.org/">Free Software Foundation Latin America</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.ibm.com/">IBM</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.nlnet.nl/">NLnet</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.odfalliance.org/">ODF Alliance</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.openforumeurope.org/">Open Forum Europe</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.opensource.org/">Open Source Initiative (OSI)</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.opentia.com/">Opentia</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://osuosl.org/">OSL</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.imatix.com/">iMatix</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.redhat.com/">Red Hat</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.sun.com/">Sun</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.theopenlearningcentre.com/">The Open Learning Centre</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.broffice.org/">BrOffice.org</a> and
|
|
<a href="http://www.funambol.com/">Funambol.</a>
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
And last but not least there is the
|
|
<a href="http://pdfreaders.org/">PDF readers campaign</a>. Unlike the
|
|
other activities, this initiative did not begin with FSFE's staff or
|
|
coordinative team, it originates with the personal initiative of some of
|
|
FSFE's Fellows, which came up with the initial idea and coordinated the
|
|
project from the first idea to the public launch and maintenance. The
|
|
role of FSFE's staff was limited to providing some input, resources,
|
|
support and encouragement. So
|
|
<a href="http://pdfreaders.org/">pdfreaders.org</a> provides an excellent
|
|
example of how FSFE's structure and culture facilitates grass-roots
|
|
activity up to a global scale as well as the targeted and centrally
|
|
coordinated activities in other areas, such as the United Nations.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>United Nations</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Besides participation in the 2007
|
|
<a href="/activities/igf/igf.html">Internet Governance Forum (IGF)</a> in
|
|
Brazil, FSFE's work at the United Nations has increasingly focussed on
|
|
the
|
|
<a href="/activities/wipo/wipo.html">World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)</a>,
|
|
which is currently undergoing reform based on the
|
|
<a href="http://www.wipo.int/ip-development/en/agenda/">Development Agenda (DA)</a>
|
|
that WIPO's Member States adopted during its 2007 General Assemblies. In
|
|
combination with a new Director General,
|
|
<a href="http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/dgo/dg_gurry_profile.html">Mr Francis Gurry</a>,
|
|
and the
|
|
<a href="http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/strategic_realignment/">WIPO Strategic Realignment Program</a>,
|
|
WIPO is increasingly openly discussing issues such as standardisation,
|
|
the limits of the patent system. Having been part of the group that was
|
|
pushing for the Development Agenda over several years, FSFE now focussed
|
|
on the issue of patents in standards, e.g.
|
|
<a href="https://blogs.fsfe.org/greve/?p=302">during SCP/13</a>, and is
|
|
pushing for WIPO to
|
|
<a href="https://blogs.fsfe.org/greve/?p=321">become more focussed on Innovation Policy</a>
|
|
evaluation under consideration of all possible options.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>Freedom Task Force</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
From its good start in November 2006, the
|
|
<a href="/activities/ftf/ftf.html">Freedom Task Force</a> continued to be a
|
|
major success story throughout the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Under the
|
|
able guidance of
|
|
Shane Coughlan, the European
|
|
Legal Network of the Freedom Task Force grew to more than 190
|
|
participants across 27 countries and four continents, including a broad
|
|
spectrum of interests engaging in Free Software. The FTF's European Legal
|
|
Network appears to be the largest legal support structure for Free
|
|
Software in the world with a wide variety of activities, such as special
|
|
interest group and well attended legal workshops with global attendance
|
|
in 2008 and 2009. There is also an increasing amount of publications
|
|
coming out of the
|
|
<a href="/activities/ftf/activities.html">FTF network</a>.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In addition to the increased networking of the Free Software legal field,
|
|
the FTF has continued to provide Free Software training to executives and
|
|
developers in several countries, and helped companies such as
|
|
<a href="http://www.baculasystems.com/">Bacula Systems</a> define their
|
|
value proposition on top of the
|
|
<a href="/activities/ftf/fiduciary.html">FSFE fiduciary programme</a>.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Through its cooperation with
|
|
<a href="http://gpl-violations.org/">gpl-violations.org</a>, the FTF has
|
|
also continued to help resolve licence violations, but its primary focus
|
|
is on the prevention of licence violations through education and
|
|
constructive dialogue with companies to help them define internal
|
|
processes to make use of Free Software while keeping the legal and
|
|
community reputation record clean.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>STACS</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
As part of the EU-funded
|
|
<a href="/activities/stacs/stacs.html">Science, Technology, and Civil Society (STACS)</a>
|
|
project, FSFE coordinated two workshops to introduce Civil Society
|
|
organisations to the concepts of Free Software and to provide them with a
|
|
practical view on how Free Software can enable their daily work. The
|
|
workshops were held in <a href="/activities/stacs/london.html">London</a>
|
|
and <a href="/activities/stacs/belgrade.html">Belgrade</a> in late 2007
|
|
under the guidance of FSFE vice president
|
|
Jonas Öberg.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>Fellowship</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
From its inception in February 2005 the Fellowship has continuously grown
|
|
in importance and activity into one of the most important activities for
|
|
FSFE. The Fellowship contributions are seminal to guarantee the financial
|
|
independence of FSFE and provide an important part of FSFE's budget with
|
|
the advantage that the distribution over many Fellows makes this source
|
|
of income very predictable and secure the independence to the
|
|
organisation.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The Fellows actively participate in FSFE's activities in several ways,
|
|
primarily focussed on local activities during a wide variety of
|
|
initiatives, such as Document Freedom Day and the Software Freedom Day in
|
|
Berlin, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Cologne, and other places. The highly
|
|
successful <a href="http://pdfreaders.org/">pdfreaders.org</a> campaign
|
|
to provide information about Free Software PDF readers, which grew out of
|
|
the Fellowship into an official FSFE project. The web site has meanwhile
|
|
been translated into 17 languages. Fellowship groups were also able to
|
|
participate in various events and exhibitions, like the Linuxweeks in
|
|
Austria or the Linuxtag in Berlin. Most FSFE booths are run to a high
|
|
degree by Fellows.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p>
|
|
Along with the aforementioned Fellowship election and representative in
|
|
the General Assembly, the Fellowship also continues to provide one of the
|
|
regular paths into FSFE's executive teams on national and international
|
|
level. Past examples for this were provided by FTF Coordinator Shane
|
|
Coughlan, more recent examples are FSFE Executive Coordinator Christian
|
|
Holz or FSFE's very active Austrian team, which grew out of the
|
|
Fellowship entirely.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>Other Activities</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
FSFE continued to participate actively through booths, volunteers,
|
|
support and speaking in a large number of events and engagements across
|
|
Europe and beyond. It has hosted several events, supported others, such
|
|
as the Trophees du Libre in France or eLiberatica in Romania, and has
|
|
established a constant presence in the various regular and irregular Free
|
|
Software events in most European countries.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Outreach activities also include translations into 27 languages, which
|
|
are only possible due to a very motivated and energetic
|
|
<a href="/contribute/translators/translators.html">translation team</a>,
|
|
which typically provides fast and high quality translation in very short
|
|
time. The monthly <a href="/news/newsletter.html">FSFE newsletter</a>,
|
|
which has meanwhile switched into the capable hands of Giacomo Poderi of
|
|
the Italian team, provides a good and regular opportunity for people to
|
|
stay up to date on the ongoing activities.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Alongside the many
|
|
<a href="/contribute/contribute.html">daily activities</a> for which FSFE
|
|
enjoys the privilege of support by a large number of dedicated, capable
|
|
volunteers, FSFE has been active in a wide variety of fields.
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
For all these fields, FSFE's contribution is typically characterised by
|
|
high efficiency and an above average return on investment towards
|
|
achievement of the goals of the association. The future challenge will be
|
|
to further professionalise the organisation while maintaining that
|
|
volunteer involvement that has allowed FSFE to be so successful in the
|
|
past years.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</body>
|
|
|
|
<tags>
|
|
<tag key="front-page"/>
|
|
<tag key="annual-report">Annual report</tag>
|
|
</tags>
|
|
<translator/>
|
|
</html>
|
|
|