Events/Berlin_2011-10-13

Fellowship Meeting - Berlin

start
2011-10-13
End
2011-10-13
title

Fellowship Meeting - Berlin

Location
Linienstrasse, 141, Berlin, 10115
Topics
Description
We will discuss various Free Software topics! See you there at 19.30h!
  • Agenda 2011-10-13T19:51+200 ** Wiki Pages .. in Berlin are outdated, Alessandro is going to update

  • Blit ask Michael, Juergen, Ruediger + Interns?? Martin -> New Intern November+ Management is being performed by Michael.

  • Compliance Workshop (Alex) We've already had a workshop, Alex has already performed one. GPL BATMEN!!
  • EU Policy Updates Eszter in charges. The three most important policy issues. Talking a little bit about this and that.
  • FP8 research and innovation framework. It's important because it's part of the framework setting up the new goals for innovation for the next years, they vote for the budget. Proposal for founding programs, hence important for us. Total budget: 51 Billion Euroes for FP7. Karsten: What the commission is doing is setting up a framework for research projects to receive European funding incl. universities, complying to vague objectives. 2013-2020 FP7 is currently taking place. The Commission proposes to allocate €80 billion for the 2014-2020 period for FP8. We want a bigger slice of this pie, i.e. for Free Software. Two sorts of things aimed: Topics, things like IT edu, perfect for FS. Cryptography, distributed systems, would be good in the priorities. How do applications get evaluated? If FS license is used should give extra points in the application! Make it easier to apply for, included in FSFE proposal. It's quite difficult to apply for funding (right now).Past experience from university working days :1 person full-time for 50 people just for application. Paper work would "kill us", so many forms, just for trivial amount of money, ~30k. There should be a threshold for low amounts.
  • Cyber security package. Because of cyber attacks against EU institutions, and in general because of organised cyber criminal cases they want to punish it more seriously. Already had a directive about this but now they figured out they not only want to consider the actual cyber attack as a crime but also want to punish the act of making available software tools for this purposes. And of course the aiding of cyber crime is also punishable. We put together a position paper saying ' Think before you decide on this'.The impeachment and punishment of FS authors can easily become possible if they don't change on this directive.

  • Uniterary patent - Richard's article in the Guardian.http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/22/european-unitary-patent-software-warning Read it! We all know about the danger of swpat. What's new concerning the Unitary patent: if the European Patent Office issues a patent, it will automatically be valid in every EU Member States (exept Spain, Italy).

  • Need opinions, expertise -> policy issues.

  • Q&A Karsten: Ask Mr. President

  • Q Erik: About the research framework: Who's the one deciding where the money goes? Where from, taxes?

    • A: We came into the process in Summer. Commission is working on it, general approach, different topics, by the end of November communication goes to EU Counsel and the European Parliament. So far asking the FS community, researches, devs, etc. Briefing paper went to Brussels explaining a member of the Commission from the program's software part. Realized it was LaTeX and appreciated it. Everyone agrees (so?), gets us in touch with the responsibles. Turned out to be two people well-known long. Eszter working out more detailed briefing recycling original briefing's ideas.The global growth strategy, EU 2020, Lisbon treaty need to be referred to. The aim is to show that FSFE's goals and past achievements are exactly in line with the EU's R&D and global economic growth objectives. In this way it's esier to convice the actual decision-makers in charge to support and include our claims, cause they don't need to think a lot how to present our proposals to their superiors.

    1. Q Erik: Cyber package and research framework status in dexision making?

    A: Time to gather AVPs(??) arguments against it to show them what they should consider before voting. It feels like a re-run of the German Hackerparagraph debate. Outlawed in Germany, another attempt? Quick and Dirty ammendment critique by Green party member friend. We answerd it in 24h. Attacked fiercely.

    1. Q Karsten: In the FSFE we have one decade of policy work experience, however most of it is done by few, mainly Karsten and Eszter. More volunteers are welcomed and required. Make it possible for people not full-time FS volunteers. Couple of hours per week of research to create a process making it possible. Question to attendees: How to structure that?

    2. Q Karsten: UEFI SecureBoot.

    A: (Matze: Send TCPA video

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aBM2mkYtPo). IT'S LETHAL FOR FREE SOFTWARE SO PLEASE DO IT. FSFE argumentation: Viruses through drive-by-downloads in Windows, the others are worms. Bootkits are the third group, almost dead. MSFT rolls out tool to kill the market. Alex is welcomed to the group, he already knows some good arguments about this case. How do we stop this? Get in the EU Commission's competition directorate general. Deploy either Army of Lawyers and/or consumer protection lobbying. Talk to politicians in combination with consumer protection organisations, groups. Karsten wants to ease contribution processes, also for

    SecureBootcampaigns. Ali: Send newsletters or establish (up2date!!) website. Looking for something where arguments are reviewed, time est. 2h. Alex: Use ticketing system / project management system.

    Category/FellowshipEvents

    Events/Berlin_2011-10-13 (last edited 2011-10-25 10:02:33 by anonymous)