Freedom Task Force secures funding for a further year
The Freedom Task Force (FTF) has received a further 12 months’ financial backing from the Dutch NL-Net Internet foundation, announced the Free Software Foundation Europe, which runs the FTF project.
The Freedom Task Force has been in operation as a project of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) since the end of 2006. It provides support to individuals, projects and companies in relation to free licensing. For example, it collaborates with local experts to stage courses on free licensing in various regions, currently Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands. During the next 12 months some of the NL-Net money will be used to add Germany, Italy and the UK to this list. The primary objective is to create a network for GPL-based law and technical expertise. “The Freedom Task Force contributes to a building of awareness,” explained a strategic manager of the NL-Net foundation. “It is creating a network of experts throughout Europe.” The Foundation has already supported the FSFE project over the past 12 months.
The NL-Net foundation has a long history. It states that it started to create its own network at the beginning of the 1980s, and was formally launched as a public foundation in 1989. The foundation focuses on networking and Internet technologies, supporting a wide range of different projects, many of which are being developed by the open-source community. All developments resulting from the foundation's support are subsequently available in an open-source form.
Alongside the Freedom Task Force, there are many other projects that aim to protect free software. As can be seen from the FAQ of the FTF, these organizations do not compete, but where possible work together. An example of such work is the project Gpl-violations.org, which has been running since the beginning of January 2004, and that works with Berlin-based lawyers. The FAQ also mentioned the Licensing Lab of the Free Software Foundation, which is the "home" of the GPL, and the Software Freedom Law Center, located on New York's Broadway and featuring the collaboration of a range of well-known people.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.