137 lines
4.9 KiB
Plaintext
137 lines
4.9 KiB
Plaintext
This was drafted in 2005. It is currently under discussion.
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Written by Lisa M. Goldstein, opus@gnu.org,
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and Richard M. Stallman, rms@gnu.org
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A Relationship Framework for FSFs.
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This a draft framework for the relationship between the FSF sister
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organizations in various parts of the world. It says which activities
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are to be carried out which FSFs, either individually or working
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together.
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FSF-NA refers to the original Free Software Foundation with
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headquarters in Boston. A "major FSF" refers to an FSF that covers a
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region which is a whole continent or contains a large fraction of the
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population of the continent it is in. The hope is that the number of
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major FSFs will be limited.
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A. The following activities will be carried out initially by the
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FSF-NA after consultation with the other FSFs. We intend, in the
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future, after we have gained experience working together, to develop a
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system wherein these decisions are approved jointly by a specific list
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of several major FSFs.
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1. Set policy regarding free software licenses, including
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the criteria for free software, the development of licenses,
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and the criteria for choosing the license to use for a program.
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2. Define official positions on major new circumstances, such as new
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technologies, new legal issues, etc, which globally impact the Free
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Software movement or our licenses, and publish position papers to
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state these positions.
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3. Make major changes in the management of the GNU Project.
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4. Approve translations of licenses into languages other than English.
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(Translation of licenses requires special care and we will have to
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approach this cautiously.)
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5. Decide whether an organization qualifies as an FSF.
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B. The following activities will be carried out by one particular FSF
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initially, and may be extended to individual other major FSFs if need
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arises:
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1. FSF-NA: Certify as a service to businesses that products comply
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with the GPL.
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2. FSF-NA: Be the official copyright holder on GNU software and manuals
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(when the developers do not keep the copyright).
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3. FSF-NA: Hold the primary copies of the copyright assignments
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themselves.
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4. FSF-Europe: Manage and operate the GNU Business Network.
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C. The following activities are to be carried out by every FSF:
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1. Encourage the development of globally-useful free software
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packages.
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2. Develop new free software and manuals, and adapt existing free
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software and manuals, to meet its region's special cultural and
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linguistic needs.
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3. Following the overall policy set as in A, create and issue
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official positions for local events and new local laws that may
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have impact on the Free Software movement or its licenses.
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4. Translate FSF position papers into local languages.
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5. Advocate FSF official positions developed in A to national and
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local governments.
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5a. Study possible local threats to software freedom and possible
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countermeasures.
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6. Recruit more volunteers for the GNU Project and
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other free software projects.
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7. Raise funds to spend on free software development and other
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free software activities.
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8. Sell copies of free (as in freedom) software, free manuals, and
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other products to raise funds to pay for local staff and local
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events. FSFs will resell their products to each other at cost for
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redistribution in other countries by sister groups.
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9. Develop media relations to create awareness of the FSF and Free
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Software positions and events.
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10. Advise free software developers on licensing matters
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and technical questions.
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11. Enforce and defend the GPL and its sister licenses internationally
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for software that it holds copyright on.
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12. Assist, in its region, efforts by other FSFs to enforce and defend
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the GPL and its sister licenses for the software they hold the
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copyright on.
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13. When asked to, hold duplicate copies of copyright
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assignments and other legal papers for other FSFs.
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14. Maintain a speaker's bureau.
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15. Develop free (as in freedom) class materials for training and
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education in use of GNU and other free software.
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16. Raise awareness of the unethical and antisocial nature
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of non-free software.
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17. Assist other organizations in upholding the GPL
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and other activities that benefit the free software cause.
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18. Encourage general cooperation with the GNU Project.
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19. Send information about its main projects to the other FSFs.
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19a. Keep its board of directors in contact with the boards of
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other FSFs, and keep its executives in contact with the
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executives of other FSFs.
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20. Cooperate generally with all other FSFs.
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D. These things will never be done by any FSF:
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1. Distribute or develop non-free software or non-free software
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documentation.
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2. Promote or encourage the use of any non-free program or non-free
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software documentation.
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3. Formally ally itself with an organization or person that develops
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or distributes non-free software or non-free software
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documentation.
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