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Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/2025-support-the-Lab.

Dear Free Software Supporter,

From the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) earliest efforts protecting user freedom to the formation of the Licensing and Compliance Lab (the Lab) in 2001 and beyond, the tactics and methods used to keep the GNU project and the GNU General Public License (GPL) strong for software freedom have been consistent. We have software freedom today because of the deliberate efforts of our predecessors, but to quote the memorable original Star Trek character, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, "All right, it's worked so far, but we're not out yet." From copyright and compliance to education and support, our tried and proven work continues, and we will not stop fulfilling our mission to promote and defend users' rights to use, study, copy, modify, and distribute software.

GNU copyright and GPL enforcement

Dr. McCoy's quote probably applies to a all aspects of the FSF's work, but it especially encapsulates our work on GNU copyright and GPL compliance. Software freedom has survived and thrived over the last 40 years, but what about the next 40? What about today? To be certain our course is still steady, the Lab has been discussing the value of copyright assignment in different forums over the last year, with both legal professionals and in the community at large to see if the GPL enforcement landscape has changed. Generally speaking, not much has changed, especially for a couple of steadfast approaches to protecting free software. First, projects are still in the strongest legal position to enforce a GPL violation if the project has a single copyright holder through developers assigning copyright for their code contributions. This approach is what enables the copyright holder of a project to confidently enforce a license on behalf of its contributors and empowers the FSF to enforce the GPL on behalf of GNU. Because we know that copyright assignment works for keeping software free, we continue to promote its use over a Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO), permissively licensed code, and the public domain for contributions.

Second, the most effective means to prevent an employer from making a claim on a contributors work (if the contributor is employed to program) is with an employer disclaimer. With a disclaimer in place, contributions to GNU (or any other project that uses copyright assignment) are more secured against a claim by an employer. Copyright assignment is a strategy that has worked well to protect free software, and should not be abandoned or diluted. "It's worked so far, but we're not out yet." Yeah, Bones, we hear you.

Protecting the GNU General Public License

When a program is licensed under a GNU GPL, it is frequently recognized and it is understood what freedoms are guaranteed with the license; however, there is a growing trend where this affiliation is being exploited and abused. We call this freewashing. Freewashing is sometimes purposeful, sometimes a simple misunderstanding, but regardless of the intent, it is confusing to the public. The Lab has been busy resolving confusing licenses involving a GPL with two new cases since this summer, ten currently open cases, and three successful resolutions. We receive a lot of reports from people being confused if they can rely on their rights under the GPL when projects alter the license with further restrictions or make erroneous statements about how it should be applied. The FSF is not interested in using our rights to bring an iron fist down upon a project. Yes, we enforce our rights, but we also want projects to join us in embracing software freedom for the greater good of all. This is the good fight, and it is with your contributions that we are able to continue this work.

Educating the community

The Lab does a lot of other important work outside of GPL stewardship and enforcement. We work hard to educate and support members of the free software community and the world at large. In the last year, we answered over 150 emails sent to [email protected] with questions about free software licensing. Although we receive questions from several sources, most are individual members of the free software community seeking to better understand the GPL and free software licensing. The Lab, and its amazing licensing volunteers, provide this service for free, which if given a monetary value could amount to hundreds of dollars per inquiry. Although it is not legal advice, it is a consultation with the preeminent resource of free licensing for free software developers. Not only does this directly help the free software community, it provides our licensing volunteers with the opportunity for a rigorous exercise in emerging licensing issues of the modern day. This, in turn, strengthens volunteer's knowledge of free software licensing making them a greater asset to the movement as a whole. Only with your support, we can continue this work. Please consider supporting us today and bringing us closer to our fundraising goal!

Furthering the goal of education and support from the Lab, both myself and licensing and compliance manager Krzysztof Siewicz gave multiple talks about, and hosted panels, on free software licensing at events such as: LinuxFest Northwest, Jesień Linuksowa, GNU Cauldron, Teardown, and Hackers Of Planet Earth (HOPE). Even when we weren't able to give a talk on free software, we were able to table at events including All Things Open and SeaGL. Tabling is an important, and often first, introduction to free software and why its important for a free and just society.

Verification and certification

In addition to all the work we do with compliance, stewardship, and education, we still find time to grow the Free Software Directory (FSD). At HOPE in New York I hosted a workshop on determining a programs' licensing and adding it to the FSD. The FSD is more than just a catalog of free software, it is an introduction to newcomers, and a powerful educational platform for those wishing to strengthen the community of free software. It is also a neutral community platform where projects can receive feedback from the public. Every week the Lab gives three hours of focused time to help people learn how to evaluate a program's licensing, so please join us every Friday from 12:00-15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC) in the Libera.Chat #fsf channel. It requires self-direction, but it also puts an enabled reviewer in a better position to help small projects with their licensing, making the free software movement stronger, one project at a time.

A major way the Lab is able to continue our work is through donations from supporters like you. Please take a moment to reflect on the value the Lab brings to the community through free software licensing education, upholding the GNU GPL, and defending GNU. We are filled with gratitude for the successes over these last forty years, and we promise to continue the fight so that countless hours of work by our predecessors for software freedom will not be in vain. Remember, "It has worked so far, but we're not out yet." Please consider donating today or becoming an associate member and help us reach our fundraising goal of $400,000 USD by January 1, 2026?

Yours in freedom,

Craig Topham
Copyright & Licensing Associate