{% include "opengraph_partial.html" with url="/sustainer/" title="Support Conservancy!" description="Software freedom is critical to many of today’s most pressing social issues, but it’s only effective when FOSS is for everyone. Support Conservancy today to help make that happen!" %}
<p>We are so proud that we're funded by individuals and stay unbeholden to corporate interests and pressures. We stand up for developers, consumers and those who have been historically excluded. We work to make technology truly fair for all. </p>
<li>Standing up for consumer rights in <ahref="/copyleft-compliance/">copyleft compliance</a></li>
<li>Supporting <ahref="https://outreachy.org">Outreachy</a> with its increasing number of interns</li>
<li>Bringing <ahref="/vizio">legal action against prolific license violators</a></li>
<li>Hiring team members to get projects <ahref="https://reproducible-builds.org/news/">like Reproducible Builds</a> to continue pushing the forefront of software reproducibility</li>
<divclass="picture-small right"><imgsrc="https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/files_sharing/publicpreview/pnZYsi2CkjscLwc?file=/&fileId=24825&x=1366&y=768&a=true&etag=f4341a40f90786b0356201c21278ee23"alt="SFC lawyers posing outside at the courthouse“ "/></a>
of GPL'd software maintain rights as <ahref="https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/glossary.html#third-party-beneficiary">third-party beneficiaries</a>,
important issues this year. From <ahref="https://sfconservancy.org/news/2023/feb/09/kuhn-neo4j-purethink-expert-report/">our perspective on the Neo4j suit</a>
to <ahref="https://sfconservancy.org/news/2023/aug/15/exit-zoom/">highlighting problematic behavior from proprietary software companies</a> and calling for folks to Exit Zoom. We'd also like to
remind you that as a Sustainer, we will provide you with your own <ahref="https://bbb.sfconservancy.org">BigBlueButton</a> account so that you can host your own video calls on a FOSS platform. Once
you have donated to us, you can fill our the new account signup and your
<ahref="https://sfconservancy.org/videos/sfc-introduction_1080p.mp4"><imgsrc="https://sfconservancy.org/videos/sfc-introduction-video_poster.jpg"alt="Thumbnail of video showing a tree and Software Freedom"/></a>
<divdata-read-more="Click more for on our new staff…">
<p>SFC hired two additional employees this year! General Counsel Rick Sanders
joins the team to help with our continued legal needs. Rick has over 20 years
experience as a intellectual-property litigator. His expertise has been
critical in helping our license compliance efforts and helping our organization
take on the increasing needs from projects and new initiatives. SFC's new
systems administrator is Paul Visscher. With over 20 years experience with
Linux and free software, Paul's belief in the power of free software to help
people engage with technology in non-exploitative ways fits in perfectly to
support our growing organizational needs and mission. Helping make sure we
can provide solid FOSS replacements to proprietary technologies for all of us.</p>
</div>
<h3id="WritingAndSpeaking">Writing and Speaking</h3>
<divdata-read-more="Find out about our writing and speaking engagements…">
<p>Our staff has been presenting and speaking about software freedom all year.
Our Executive Director Karen Sandler received an honorary doctorate from
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven for her incredible work in FOSS leadership, and
her advocacy and pursuit of software freedom and rights for all.
In November she spoke at <ahref="https://www.sfscon.it/talks/the-history-of-and-path-forward-for-copyleft-and-the-gpl/">SFSCON about "The History of, and Path forward for, Copyleft and the GPL"</a>.</p>
<p>Policy Fellow Bradley M. Kuhn gave many conference talks and also represented SFC at many
government hearings and inquiries. Beginning the year at <ahref="https://archive.fosdem.org/2023/schedule/speaker/bradley_m_kuhn/">FOSDEM</a>,
Bradley (and Karen) led the Legal and Policy DevRoom. He then spoke at SCaLE
20x giving a talk titled <ahref="https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/20x/presentations/learning-big-failures-improve-foss-advocacy-and-adoption">Learning From the Big Failures To Improve FOSS Advocacy and Adoption</a>.
As a panel member, he was the only representative for the FOSS community on
the FTC's discussion <ahref="https://sfconservancy.org/news/2023/oct/04/ftc-ai-panel/">“Creative Economy and Generative AI“</a></p>
<p>Our Director of Compliance, Denver Gingerich, spoke at SFSCON talking about what it's really like to <ahref="https://www.sfscon.it/talks/how-do-you-really-do-gpl-enforcement/">enforce the GPL</a>. His talk at FOSSY titled <ahref="https://2023.fossy.us/schedule/presentation/84/">You don't carry a phone?! Improving societal acceptance of abnormal people</a>
was one of the most talked about from our own conference.
Pono represented SFC at <ahref="https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/19x">SCaLE
19x</a> and <ahref="https://seagl.org">SeaGL</a>, which was great to be back
at community centered conferences.
SFC staffers also participate in key meetings to represent community interests
in a variety of FOSS related discussions concerning security, governmental use
of FOSS and in critical infrastructure discussions and also presented in
classroom to educate students about software freedom.</p>
Research</a> completed it's fifth year, supporting 32 students in 3 cities this
summer. Now providing training, education and real world software experience to
high school students in 3 cities and exploring additional cities that may join
next summer. These research internships are a great way for high school
students to get involved in real academic research while also being exposed to
the ideas and principles of software freedom.</p>
<p><ahref="https://inkscape.org">Inkscape</a> just celebrated their 20th
anniversary! Coinciding with their new <ahref="https://inkscape.org/news/2023/11/18/big-small-release-inkscape-131-is-out/">1.3.1 release</a>, Inkscape is as active as ever and proving itself one
of the most vital free software projects, full of longevity and an ever
growing community. This year has been a big year of development, marking some
very exciting developments for the project. Creation of a new <ahref="https://inkscape.org/*membership/blog/october-bug-accelerator-2023/">bug accelerator program</a>, a migration to <ahref="https://inkscape.org/*membership/blog/august-gtk4-migration-tavmjong/">GTK4</a>, another year of <ahref="https://inkscape.org/*membership/blog/customizable-canvas-controls/">GSOC participation</a> and new support for <ahref="https://inkscape.org/*membership/blog/may-ai-extension-2023/">Adobe Illustrator import</a>!</p>
<p>Our member projects had a range of in person and online events this year.
<b>Inkscape</b> hosted an in-person meeting in Bensberg, Germany. A great meeting
for the PLC and contributors to get together to plan and work on technical
challenges. The first back in-person <b>Selenium</b><a
href="https://seleniumconf.com/">conference</a> was in Chicago this past
<imgsrc="/img/scaled-LLW-2015-Conservancy-Supporters-by-Carlo-Piana-CC-0.jpg"alt="Zack, Karen, John and Jim pose, mostly wearing the vintage t-shirt!"/>
<p>Sustainers pose with Karen! <br/>From left: Stefano “Zack” Zacchiroli, Karen M. Sandler, John Sullivan, and Jim Wright</p>
