All posts by Bradley M. Kuhn

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Welte Receives Open Source Award for GPL Enforcement

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/22/welte-award.html

About two hours ago, Harald Welte received the 2008 Open Source Award
entitled the Defender of Rights. (Open Source awards are
renamed for each individual who receives them.) This award comes on the
heels of
the FSF Award
for the Advancement of Free Software in March
. I am glad that GPL
enforcement work is now receiving the recognition it deserves.

When I started doing GPL enforcement work in 1999, and even when, two
years later, it became a major center of my work (as it remains
today), the violations space was a very lonely place to work. During
that early period, I and my team at FSF were the only
people actively enforcing the GPL on behalf of the Software
Freedom Movement. When Harald
started gpl-violations.org in
2004, it was a relief to finally see someone else taking GPL violations
as seriously as I and my colleagues at the FSF had been for so many
years.

Of course, it was no surprise when Harald received the FSF award
earlier this year. This Open Source Award now shows a broader
recognition. In fact, I hope that this award is a
harbinger to indicate that the larger FLOSS world has realized the
tremendous value in consistent and serious GPL enforcement that some of
us have done for so long. The copyleft is meaningless if it is not
defended against those who ignore it, and I am glad that more of the
FLOSS world has begun to see that.

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!

Autonomo.us Computing

Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2008/07/14/autonomo-us-launch.html

The Network Services committee that I alluded to recently
in various interviews
is now officially public and
named: Autonomo.us. (Thanks to one of
the committee members, Evan
Prodromou
, who donated the domain
name. ) Autonomo.us is officially
endorsed by the
FSF
.

I’ve written
before about how discussions began at FSF in January 2002 to address the
“ASP loophole of the GPL”
. In those months that
followed, when I came up with the idea for what would (later be named)
the Affero clause, I naïvely thought that a license term for the
software would “solve” the Software as a Service (SaaS)
problem. Indeed, I considered the problem fully addressed upon publication of the original AGPL, and it was much later before I realized the problem was more complex.

The AGPLv3 is only one (albeit essential) part of what must
be a multi-pronged strategy to address the freedom implications and
concerns of SaaS.
At Auotonomo.us,
we have published The Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network Services (named for the place it
was declared — the location of post-Temple-Place FSF offices). The Statement is a manifesto (of sorts) outlining the
concerns that must be addressed and the beginnings of some ideas for
solutions. I hope you will read it and begin considering this
issue if you haven’t already, and that you will endorse the statement if you already understand the issue. We hope to be publishing more on that site as
the year goes on!