The Irish Free Software Organisation (or IFSO) is a member organisation based in the Republic of Ireland which works to promote the use of
free software
Free software or libre software is computer software distributed under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, and distribute it and any adapted versions. Free software is a matter of liberty, no ...
in Ireland, and oppose legal or political developments which would interfere with the use or development of Free Software.
It is an associate organization of
Free Software Foundation Europe
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is an ''eingetragener Verein'' (registered voluntary association) under German law. It was founded in 2001 to support all aspects of the free software movement in Europe, with registered chapters in seve ...
(FSFE), with which it continues to maintain close ties.
History
IFSO was founded in January 2004 with the aims of promoting and protecting the freedom to study, modify and redistribute Free Software.
IFSO was founded as an extension of work on the
EU Software Patents directive being performed by an ''ad hoc'' group, who perceived a threat to the
Free Software community
The free software movement is a social movement with the goal of obtaining and guaranteeing certain freedoms for software users, namely the freedoms to run the software, to study the software, to modify the software, and to share copies of the s ...
from that legislation. The organisation was intended to foster the Free Software community in Ireland, and to continue this legal and political work in a coherent manner.
Activities
* IFSO has been involved in organising several public lectures on Free Software, Software Patentability and other related topics.
* It has lobbied on the subject of the EU Software Patents directive, and other elements of European and Irish legislation.
* It has worked to raise awareness and promote the use of Free Software (for example, by participating in
Software Freedom Day)
Structure
Although IFSO is a membership organisation, with a committee to provide structure, formal membership is considered less important than an individual's willingness to participate and take initiative. IFSO frequently collaborates with related organisations.
External links
{{Portal, Free and open-source software
The IFSO website*
*
ttp://www.ifso.ie/projects/gplv3.html IFSO project: GPLv3IFSO project: promotionFree Software Foundation EuropeSlashdot story on two GPLv3 talk transcripts published by IFSO
Free and open-source software organizations
2004 establishments in Ireland
Organizations established in 2004
Political organisations based in the Republic of Ireland