Mise à jour de la base de données, veuillez patienter...

While we are in the midst of the current battle to end the DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions here in the US, we can't lose sight of the broader global fight being waged via the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Strategic Partnership Agreement. If you aren't familiar with TPP, it is a multinational trade agreement being developed through a series of secret negotiations that are pushing a host of restrictions. From making the DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions global, to spreading the threat of software patents around the world, to extending copyright indefinitely, these secret negotiations present a plethora of threats to user freedom.

Since our last update on TPP, the Obama administration and the Republican-led Congress have been maneuvering to put the TPP nightmare on a fast track. In essence, they want to ensure that whatever the outcome of the TPP negotiations, the TPP will be immediately etched into U.S. law without real debate. It is bad enough that while the negotiations are ongoing, we are forced to guess at their effects based only on leaked information. That Congress won't even be debating the outcome before implementing these terrible restrictions in US law moves this issue into the realm of the surreal. If TPP is fast-tracked, there will be no debate, no amendments, no chance to limit or remove the terrible things currently being debated in secret.

We need to stop the Obama administration and his allies in the Republican-led Congress before they railroad us into a future run by secret lobbyists. A future where circumventing Digital Restrictions Management is a crime everywhere. A future where copyright extends beyond all right and reason in perpetuity. A future where software patents threaten the development of free software everywhere. We have to send a clear message to Congress and the administration, telling them that they must not fast track TPP. This is our stop: it's time to get off.

This is what you can do to help derail TPP before it becomes a reality.

• If you are in the US, join EFF's action and write to your representatives telling them not to fast track TPP. EFF's action uses the free software tool Phantom of the Capitol.
• If you are outside the US, please contact your local representatives and let them know you oppose TPP.
• Support our work representing you in this area by becoming an FSF member or making a donation.

In his first of three articles on hardward designs, Richard Stallman explained "Why We Need Free Digital Hardware Designs." In this, his second article, he shows us "How to Make Hardware Designs Free": he spells out the practical differences between software and hardware as far as user freedom is concerned, explains how to make hardware free, touches on the intricacies of licensing in this field, and elaborates on the most effective way to promote free hardware designs.

Apple's failure to release the source code for these products and software violates users' freedoms to study, modify, and distribute software, regardless of the type of device on which that software is run. Its integration of Digital Restrictions Management technologies into its products like Apple TV and iTunes place unethical restrictions on users' interactions with movies, music, and other media. And even though Apple has said it will release the source code of ResearchKit, an upcoming platform to collect data on volunteer medical research, it cannot guarantee users' privacy or protection for their data because of the proprietary iOS software on which it runs. Without access to the full source code of the operating systems collecting their personal and health information, it is impossible for users to ensure the safety and security of their data.

With these products, Apple only invests more in its battle against computer user freedom and, by extension, "free speech, free commerce, free association, privacy, and technological innovation," said FSF executive director John Sullivan in a statement in September.

The Free Software Foundation urges users to decline to purchase all Apple products, including the Apple Watch, iPhone, TV, and MacBook, and instead choose to use free software for all their devices. For mobile and wearable devices, choose software such as Replicant, a free software version of Android, and F-Droid, a mobile app repository of free software. For desktop and notebook computers, install a free GNU/Linux distribution and have a look around the FSF's Free Software Directory.

Also, people should join the many activists and free software users who have emailed Tim Cook (tcook@apple.com), pledging to boycott Apple products due to the company's use of DRM and proprietary software. Please CC us on your email at campaigns@fsf.org. You are welcome to use this example email from our anti-DRM campaign, Defective by Design.

• Bookmark the remote participation center now, and go there on Saturday, March 21st and Sunday, March 22nd to watch the livestream.

This year's program is bursting with something for everyone in the free software movement, from inquisitive newcomers to hardcore developers.

Keynotes talks will be given by Karen Sandler, executive director of Software Freedom Conservancy and GNOME Foundation board member; Benjamin Mako Hill, peer production scholar and activist; and the FSF's founder, Richard Stallman.

Another way to participate remotely is to join the conversation around the conference on the libreplanet-discuss mailing list. Subscribe now and dive in.

If you can make it to Massachusetts, it's not too late to register. Students and FSF members enjoy gratis admission. That means that, if you aren't already a member, this a great time to become one. Members enjoy a variety of benefits and support free software year-round.

So we can run the conference as smoothly as possible for everyone, we ask that you register by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 17th. However, late registrations and walk-ups will still be accepted.

Finally, we'd like to express our excitement about working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Student Information Processing Board, our organizing partner for LibrePlanet 2015.

See you soon, whether it's in person or online.

Richard Stallman's latest article "Why We Need Free Digital Hardware Designs", published today in Wired magazine, addresses these questions. His clear and nuanced answers, which take into account both the world of today and the future we are building, show us how to ensure our freedom in both.