Copyleft Compliance: mostly minor fixes to new pgs

These are mostly minor edits (typo fixes, etc.) to the enforcement
strategy and firmware liberation pages that were just added.

The one large change was to replace the first paragraph of the
enforcement strategy page with the full Conservancy description used
previously.  The glue text used to shorten it appeared unsalvageable
and it wasn't immediately obvious how to replace it with something
better, so we used the full description instead.
This commit is contained in:
Denver Gingerich 2020-07-15 16:59:24 -07:00 committed by Bradley M. Kuhn
parent e80d35a73e
commit a8710b4b9f
2 changed files with 27 additions and 22 deletions

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@ -6,7 +6,12 @@
<h1 id="software-freedom-conservancy-proposal-for-gpl-enforcement-grant">History and Future Strategy</h1>
<p>The Software Freedom Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity
registered in New York that continues it work in the are of important
registered in New York. Founded in 2006, Conservancy helps people take control
of their computing by growing the software freedom movement, supporting
community-driven alternatives to proprietary software, and defending free
software with practical initiatives. Conservancy accomplishes these goals
with various initiatives including fiscal sponsorship, licensing and project
governance policy, and public advocacy. Some of Conservancy's most important
licensing policy work involves defending and upholding the rights of
software users and consumers under copyleft licenses, such as the GPL.</p>
@ -24,7 +29,7 @@
the router, but Linksys and Cisco had failed to provide source code or any
offer for source code to its customers.</p>
<p>A coalition formed including organizations and individuals — including
<p>A coalition formed made up of organizations and individuals — including
Erik Andersen (major contributor to and former leader of the BusyBox
project) and Harald Welte (major contributor to Linuxs netfilter
subsystem) — to enforce the
@ -115,10 +120,10 @@
<p>There is one overarching irony to this growing dystopia: nearly all these
devices are based primarily on software licensed under the GPL: most
notably, Linux. While Linux-based systems do allow proprietary user-space
applications not licensed under GPL, the kernel (and many other system
applications not licensed under GPL, the kernel and many other system
utilities routinely used in embedded systems, such as Conservancys BusyBox
project) are under that license (or similar copyleft licenses such as the
LGPL). These licenses require device markers to provide complete,
project, are under that license (or similar copyleft licenses such as the
LGPL). These licenses require device makers to provide complete,
corresponding source code to everyone in possession of their
devices. Furthermore, Linuxs specific license (GPL, version 2), mandates
that source code must also include “the scripts used to control compilation
@ -139,9 +144,9 @@
solutions. E-recyclers
like <a href="https://www.freegeek.org/">Freegeek</a> do this regularly for
desktop and laptop machines with GNU/Linux distributions like Debian, and
with OpenWRT for wireless routers. We seek to assure they can do this for
with OpenWRT for wireless routers. We seek to ensure they can do this for
other types of electronic products. However, without the complete,
corresponding source code and the scripts to control its compilation and
corresponding source code, including the scripts to control its compilation and
installation, the fundamental purpose of copyleft is frustrated. Consumers,
hobbyists, non-profit e-recyclers and the general public are left without
the necessary tools they need and deserve, and which the license promises
@ -168,7 +173,7 @@
<p>“Internet of Things” firmware should never rely on one vendor — even the
vendor of the hardware itself. This centralized approach is brittle and
inevitably leads to invasions of the publics privacy and control of their
inevitably leads to invasions of the publics privacy and loss of control of their
technology. Conservancys GPL enforcement work is part of the puzzle that
ensures users can choose who their devices connect to, and how they
connect. Everyone deserves control over their own computing — from their
@ -182,7 +187,7 @@
Project for Linux Developers</h2>
<p>In May 2012, Software Freedom Conservancy
formed <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/">The GPL
formed <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/#linux">The GPL
Compliance Project for Linux Developers</a> in response to frustration by
upstream Linux developers about the prevalence of noncompliance in the
field, and their desire to stand with Conservancys BusyBox, Git and Samba
@ -286,13 +291,13 @@
in the unfunded work to make an MVP alternative firmware. While volunteer
involvement remains essential to the success of alternative firmware
projects, we know from our fiscal sponsorship work that certain aspects of
FOSS projects require an experienced charity to initiate and jump start
FOSS projects require an experienced charity to initiate and jump-start
some of the less exciting aspects of FOSS project creation and
development.</p>
<p>Conservancy plans to select a specific class of device. Upon achieving
compliant source releases in that subindustry through GPL enforcement,
Conservancy will <a href="firmware-liberation">launch an alternative
firmware project</> for that class of device.</p>
Conservancy will <a href="firmware-liberation.html">launch an alternative
firmware project</a> for that class of device.</p>
{% endblock %}

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@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
projects.</p>
<p>A coalition successfully enforced the GPL in this case, and Linksys
released source code A <a href="https://openwrt.org/about/history">group of
released source code. A <a href="https://openwrt.org/about/history">group of
volunteers quickly built a new project, called OpenWRT</a> based on that
source release. In the years that have followed, OpenWRT has been ported to
almost every major wireless router product. Now, more than 15 years later,
@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
cameras, police body cameras, cars, AV receivers, and televisions.</p>
<p>This wide deployment of general purpose computers into mundane household
devices raises profound privacy and consumer rights
devices has profound privacy and consumer rights
implications. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/us/Hacked-ring-home-security-cameras.html">Home</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/23/family-says-hacked-nest-camera-warned-them-north-korean-missile-attack/">security</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/06/05/617196788/s-c-mom-says-baby-monitor-was-hacked-experts-say-many-devices-are-vulnerable">cameras</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/12/tech/ring-security-camera-hacker-harassed-girl-trnd/index.html">are</a> <a href="https://abc7.com/baby-monitor-hack-leads-to-kidnap-scare/4931822/">routinely</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-44117337/security-footage-viewed-by-thousands">compromised</a>
— invading the privacy and security of individual homes. Even when
companies succeed in keeping out third parties, consumers
@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
<p>“Internet of Things” firmware should never rely on one vendor — even the
vendor of the hardware itself. This centralized approach is brittle and
inevitably leads to invasions of the publics privacy and control of their
inevitably leads to invasions of the publics privacy and loss of control of their
technology. Conservancy plans to address this issue in the manner that the
FOSS community knows best: put one foot in front of the other, and work to
create FOSS for every possible task that users want to accomplish. For IoT
@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
market.</p>
<h3 id="demonstrating-the-power-of-software-freedom">Demonstrating the power
of software freedom,</h3>
of software freedom</h3>
<p>To many, the benefits of software freedom are abstract. For less technical
users, the idea of modifying or even reviewing the software on their
@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
<p>When alternative firmware projects like OpenWRT exist for IoT devices,
non-technical users can replace the software on their devices and benefit
from custom, community-controled software. Technical users are more likely
from custom, community-controlled software. Technical users are more likely
to contribute knowing their efforts will be meaningful.</p>
<p>However, decades of corporate involvement in copyleft have demonstrated
@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
Enforcement</h2>
<p><a href="enforcement-strategy.html">Conservancy plans to select a specific
violation and engage in litigation. Based on past experience, we expect
violation and engage in litigation.</a> Based on past experience, we expect
that the press and attention to that ongoing litigation will yield
increased responsiveness by violators throughout the industry. (A similar
outcome occurred after our litigation in 2006.) This expected change in
@ -142,9 +142,9 @@
that certain aspects of FOSS projects require an experienced charity to
initiate and jump-start some of the less exciting aspects of FOSS project
creation and development. (In our last fiscal year, Conservancy funded 160
contributors to work on FOSS)</p>
contributors to work on FOSS.)</p>
<p>In the initial phase of this grant, Conservancy will to select a specific
<p>In the initial phase of this grant, Conservancy will select a specific
class of device. Upon achieving compliant source releases in that
subindustry through GPL enforcement, Conservancy will launch an alternative
firmware project for that class of device.</p>
@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
periods for a grassroots hobbyist activity is quite challenging; we seek to
use this grant to bootstrap and catalyze interest and contribution to the
project. Ideally, Conservancy would run the project with a single full-time
staffer for a about a year, and achieve a volunteer base sufficient to
staffer for about a year, and achieve a volunteer base sufficient to
reduce funding to one part-time staffer.</p>
<h3 id="criteria-for-device-selection">Criteria for Device Selection</h3>