Editing Software Freedom Law Center

{{Short description|Pro bono legal organization for developers}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Software Freedom Law Center
| logo = Sflc.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| caption = The Software Freedom Law Center logo, a [[visual pun]] on the [[Control Key|Ctrl key]] of most keyboards
| type = [[501(c) organization#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3)]]
| founded_date =
| location = [[New York City]], [[United States|USA]]
| key_people = Chairman: [[Eben Moglen]]
| fields = Software
| homepage = [https://softwarefreedom.org softwarefreedom.org]
}}

The '''Software Freedom Law Center''' ('''SFLC''') is an organization that provides ''[[pro bono]]'' legal representation and related services to not-for-profit developers of [[free software]]/[[open source software]].  It was launched in February 2005 with [[Eben Moglen]] as chairman.  Initial funding of [[United States dollar|US$]]4 million was pledged by [[Open Source Development Labs]]. <!-- as of August 2005 -->

A news article stated:
{{Quote | style=font-size:100% | Moglen expects&nbsp;— in fact, plans for&nbsp;— a large turnover in the staff. After five years, he anticipates 20 to 30 lawyers will have passed through the Center. By the time these alumni move on, Moglen hopes that its members will have the expertise to advise both communities and corporations alike. It will also create a loose association whose members can consult with each other as necessary.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/05/02/11/2216239.shtml?tid=147 |title=NewsForge &#124; Moglen plans "general counsel's office for the entire movement" |access-date=2006-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114183437/http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/05/02/11/2216239.shtml?tid=147 |archive-date=2006-11-14 }}</ref>}}

== GPL version 3 ==
SFLC represented and advised the [[Free Software Foundation]], one of its principal clients, throughout the process of drafting and public discussion of version 3 of the [[GNU General Public License]] (GPLv3) during 2005–2007. Along with FSF president [[Richard M. Stallman]], SFLC director Eben Moglen and then-SFLC counsel [[Richard Fontana]] were principal authors of GPLv3, [[LGPL|LGPLv3]], and the [[GNU Affero General Public License]].<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2008/jan/19/gplv3-support/ SFLC Provides Ongoing GPLv3 Legal Support to FSF]</ref><ref>[http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/blog/ "And Now … Life After GPLv3" (''Freedom Now'')]</ref><ref>Richard Fontana</ref>

== BusyBox litigation ==
During 2007 and 2008, SFLC filed a series of copyright infringement lawsuits against various defendants, on behalf of Erik Andersen and Rob Landley, the principal developers of [[BusyBox]]. These lawsuits claimed violations of version 2 of the GNU General Public License (GPLv2).

On September 20, 2007, SFLC filed a lawsuit against Monsoon Multimedia, Inc.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/sep/20/busybox/ SFLC notice on the lawsuit filed against Monsoon Multimedia, Inc.]</ref> alleging that Monsoon had violated GPLv2 by including BusyBox code in their [[Monsoon Multimedia HAVA]] line of products<ref>LinuxWatch: {{cite web|url=http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS2535349507.html|title=The device behind the GPL's first U.S. legal test|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128045440/http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/The-device-behind-the-GPLs-first-US-legal-test/|archive-date=2013-01-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> without releasing BusyBox [[source code]]. This is believed to be the first U.S. court case in which the complaint concerned a GPL violation.<ref>LinuxWatch: [http://linux-watch.com/news/NS3973290690.html First U.S. GPL lawsuit filed]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  On October 30, 2007, an SFLC press release announced that the lawsuit had been settled with Monsoon agreeing to comply with the GPL and pay a sum of money to the plaintiffs.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/oct/30/busybox-monsoon-settlement/ BusyBox Developers and Monsoon Multimedia Agree to Dismiss GPL Lawsuit]</ref>

On November 20, 2007, SFLC filed a lawsuit against Xterasys Corporation and High-Gain Antennas, LLC.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/nov/20/busybox/ Second Round of GPL Infringement Lawsuits Filed on Behalf of BusyBox Developers]</ref> On December 17, 2007, SFLC announced a settlement with Xterasys; the company agreed to stop product shipments until it published complete source code for the GPL code and to pay an undisclosed sum to the plaintiffs.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/dec/17/busybox-xterasys-settlement/ BusyBox Developers and Xterasys Corporation Agree to Settle GPL Lawsuit]</ref> The suit against High-Gain Antennas was settled on March 6, 2008, with the company agreeing to comply with GPL and paying an undisclosed sum to the plaintiffs.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2008/mar/06/busybox-hga/ BusyBox Developers and High-Gain Antennas Agree to Dismiss GPL Lawsuit]</ref>

On December 7, 2007 SFLC filed a lawsuit against Verizon Communications, Inc.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/dec/07/busybox/ BusyBox Developers File GPL Infringement Lawsuit Against Verizon Communications]</ref> alleging  that Verizon had violated GPLv2 by distributing BusyBox in the Actiontec MI424WR [[Multimedia over Coax Alliance|MoCA]] [[802.11|wireless]] routers bundled with the [[Verizon FiOS|FiOS]] fiber optic bandwidth service, without providing corresponding source code.  A settlement announced on March 17, 2008, included an agreement to comply with the GPL and an undisclosed sum paid to the plaintiffs.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2008/mar/17/busybox-verizon/ BusyBox Developers Agree To End GPL Lawsuit Against Verizon]</ref>

On June 10, 2008, SFLC announced the filing of lawsuits against Bell Microproducts, Inc. and Super Micro Computer, Inc.<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2008/jun/10/busybox/ SFLC Files Another Round of GPL Violation Lawsuits on Behalf of BusyBox Developers]</ref>

On December 14, 2009, SFLC announced the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of its clients, [[Software Freedom Conservancy]] and Erik Andersen, against 14 companies, including [[Best Buy]], [[Samsung]], and [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation (1998)|Westinghouse]] alleging these companies had violated GPLv2 by distributing BusyBox in some of their products without releasing BusyBox source code.<ref>[http://linuxdevices.linuxgizmos.com/gplv2-copyright-suit-targets-14-firms/ GPLv2 copyright suit targets 14 firms] on linuxgizmos.com by Eric Brown (Dec 14, 2009)</ref><ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2009/dec/14/busybox-gpl-lawsuit/ Best Buy, Samsung, Westinghouse, And Eleven Other Brands Named In SFLC Lawsuit] on softwarefreedom.org</ref> 
For instance, [[Samsung]] released its LN52A650 TV firmware in 2010,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100210133921/http://www.samsung.com/global/opensource Visual Display - Open Source] on samsung.com ''"Please download the links below We use GPLv2 and LGPLv2.1, not GPLv3 and LGPLv3. Open Source License Notice License Agreement LN52A750.zip"'' (archived 2010)</ref><ref>manual</ref><ref>[http://tech-insider.org/open-source-software/research/acrobat/091214.pdf The Software Freedom Conservancy, Inc. & Mr. Erik Andersen vs BestBuy, Samung, Westinghouse, JVC, Western Digital, Bosch, Phoebe Micro, Humax, ...] (New York, 2009)</ref> which was used later as the base for the community SamyGO project.

By 21 September 2013, all of the defendant companies had agreed on settlement terms with the plaintiffs, except for Westinghouse, against whom [[default judgment]] was entered.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4347239/software-freedom-conservancy-inc-v-best-buy-co-inc/|title=Docket for Software Freedom Conservancy, Inc. v. Best Buy Co., Inc.|website=CourtListener|language=en|access-date=2017-02-28}}</ref>

== Cisco lawsuit ==
{{Main|Free Software Foundation, Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc.}}
On December 11, 2008, SFLC announced the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of its client, the [[Free Software Foundation]], against [[Cisco Systems|Cisco Systems, Inc.]]<ref>[http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2008/dec/11/cisco-lawsuit/ SFLC Files Lawsuit against Cisco on Behalf of the FSF]</ref>  This lawsuit was the first suit ever initiated by the Free Software Foundation,.<ref>[http://www.fsf.org/news/2008-12-cisco-suit Free Software Foundation Files Suit Against Cisco For GPL Violations]</ref> On May 20, 2009, the parties announced a settlement.

== Staff ==
{{As of|2020|5}}, SFLC's staff included:<ref name="SFLCteam">{{cite web|url=http://softwarefreedom.org/about/team/ |title=Team |publisher=Software Freedom Law Center |access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref>
* [[Eben Moglen]], President and Executive Director
* [[Mishi Choudhary]], Legal Director
* Tanisha Madrid-Batista, Chief Operating Officer 
* Daniel Gnoutcheff, Systems Administrator

== Directors ==
{{As of|2020|5}}, SFLC's directors were:<ref name="SFLCteam"/>
* [[Eben Moglen]]
* Diane M. Peters
* [[Daniel Weitzner]]

== Former staff ==
* [[Richard Fontana]], Counsel
* Jim Garrison, Public Relations Coordinator
* [[Bradley M. Kuhn]], Policy Analyst and Technology Director
* Matt Norwood, Counsel
* Jonathan D. Bean, Counsel
* Daniel J. Byrnes, Counsel
* Albert Cahn, Counsel
* [[Daniel B. Ravicher]], Legal Director
* [[Karen M. Sandler]], General Counsel
* James Vasile, Counsel
* Rachel A. Wiener, Office Manager
* Justin C. Colannino,<ref>{{cite web
 |url        = http://www.ropesgray.com/justincolannino/
 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130201184739/http://www.ropesgray.com/justincolannino/
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date = 2013-02-01
 |title      = Justin C. Colannino, Ropes and Gray
 |access-date = 2012-11-22
 |author     = Ropes and Gray
 |date       = 2012-11-12
 |publisher  = Ropes and Gray
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscon.com/oscon2012/public/schedule/speaker/121971
|title = Justin Colannino, Associate, Ropes and Gray, LLP
|access-date = 2012-11-22
|author = O'Reilly and Associates
|date = 2012-07-19
|publisher = O'Reilly and Associates
}}
</ref> Counsel
* Aaron Williamson, Counsel
* Marc Jones, Counsel

== Clients ==
* [https://archive.today/20130814221722/http://trends.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/05/11/1328245&tid=147&tid=150&tid=37&tid=132 SFLC adds Wine to client list]
* [https://lwn.net/Articles/135413/ Press Release: SFLC to represent the Wine project] (see also [[Wine (software)|Wine]])
* [https://lwn.net/Articles/141806/ X.Org Foundation Hires Software Freedom Law Center]
* [http://plone.org/foundation/newsitems/software-freedom-law-center-support SFLC to represent Plone and the Plone Foundation] (see [[Plone (software)|Plone]])

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* {{Official website|https://softwarefreedom.org/}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/technology/01soft.html New York Times article about SFLC launch]
* [https://archive.today/20131229074740/http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/OSDL-Helps-Fund-New-OpenSource-Legal-Center/ eWeek article about SFLC launch]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061114183437/http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/05/02/11/2216239.shtml?tid=147 Moglen plans "general counsel's office for the entire movement"] Feb 2005, [[Newsforge]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061107160224/http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6051589.html ZDNet interview with Eben Moglen where SFLC is discussed]

{{FOSS}}

[[Category:Free and open-source software organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2005]]
[[Category:Legal advocacy organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations based in New York City]]