= FSFE: 32 Free Software Pact supporters elected to the European Parliament =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140528-01.en.html ]
The European elections have brought 32 Free Software supporters into the
new European Parliament. Candidates across the political spectrum signed
the Free Software Pact[1], promising to support Free Software and Open
Standards during their time in Parliament. Out of 162 signatories, 32
were elected
"We congratulate the fresh MEPs on their election, and would like to
thank everyone who signed the Free Sotware Pact," says Karsten Gerloff,
president of the Free Software Foundation Europe. "Europe deserves more
software freedom. We rely on these MEPS to make sure that Europeans can
be in full control of the computers they use. FSFE will be happy to
support them in this important effort."
The Free Software Pact campaign is run by April[2] and supported by FSFE
and other Free Software organisations. Candidates who signed the pact
stated their support for Free Software and Open Standards in politics,
law and administration. Free Software activists all over Europe
collected 162 signatures from candidates across the political spectrum
in 16 countries. France is Europeans country with the highest number of
successful elected signatories, followed by Germany and Slovenia.
FSFE's outreach coordinator Erik Albers says: "Please join us in
continuing the push for software freedom in the Parliament. Contact your
Member of the new European Parliament and get her or him to sign the
Free Software Pact! Europe needs their support for Free Software and
Open Standards."
- More information: April's press release on the Free Software Pact
results in France[3]
- List of all Free Software Pact signatures[4]
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1. http://freesoftwarepact.eu/
2. http://april.org
3. http://www.april.org/free-software-pact-162-signataires-dans-16-pays-17-sig…
4. http://freesoftwarepact.eu/europarl2014/
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit
non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and
involved in many global activities. Access to software determines
participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in
the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free
Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the
furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study,
modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues,
securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people
Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues
of the FSFE.
http://fsfe.org/
= Open Letter to European Commission: Stop DRM in HTML5 =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20140506-01.en.html ]
On today's "Day against DRM"[1], the Free Software Foundation Europe
(FSFE) has sent an open letter to the European Commission, asking the EC
to prevent Digital Restrictions Management technology from being closely
integrated with the HTML5 standard.[2].
FSFE is concerned about efforts currently in progress at the World Wide
Web Consortium (W3C), to encourage the integration of Digital
Restriction Management (DRM) technology into web browsers. The W3C
oversees many of the key standards on which the World Wide Web is based.
A W3C working group is currently standardising an "Encrypted Media
Extension" (EME), which will allow companies to easily plug in non-free
"Content Decryption Modules" (CDM) with DRM functionality, taking away
users' control over their own computers. Most DRM technologies impose
restrictions on users that go far beyond what copyright and consumers'
rights allow.
"Integrating DRM facilities into HTML5 is the antithesis of
everything that has made the Internet and the World Wide Web
successful," says FSFE's President Karsten Gerloff. "It is directly
contrary to the interests of the vast majority of Internet users
everywhere."
Auditing the DRM modules will be both difficult and illegal. Their
source code will be a closely held secret of the company which
distributes the module. Performing an audit and reporting security flaws
would also be illegal in the many countries which have adopted so-called
"anti-circumvention" laws. Reporting a security problem in the DRM
module would expose the reporter to the risk of lawsuits from the makers
of that module.
FSFE asks the European Commission to:
- Engage with the W3C and ensure that the organisation takes these
concerns on board as it decides on the adoption of the Encrypted Media
Extension (EME).
- Pledge not to make use of the Encrypted Media Extension in its own
infrastructure, even if EME were to be standardised by W3C.
- Protect people and companies from prosecution who reverse-engineer DRM
technology and report vulnerabilities.
1. http://dayagainstdrm.org/
2. https://fsfe.org/activities/drm/open-letter-ec-drm-html.en.html
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit
non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and
involved in many global activities. Access to software determines
participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in
the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free
Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the
furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study,
modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues,
securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people
Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues
of the FSFE.
http://fsfe.org/