05.08.22

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Debian is Not Defending Volunteers by SLAPPing Other Volunteers, It Just Tarnishes the Community’s Reputation and Brand

Posted in Debian, GNU/Linux, Law at 7:38 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Video download link | md5sum 1639f04d8aa93b37596fc72b3d7457c7
Debian Trademarks and SLAPP
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0

Summary: Volunteers of Debian face an unwelcoming gesture not because of critics online but because it seems clear that Debian leadership misuses very limited Debian funds to SLAPP disgruntled volunteers; the project is not in good hands and this needs to be corrected before it gets yet worse

THE video above is an expression of an opinion, not to be taken out of context by selective quoting (hence the licence). It deals with a couple of blog posts [1, 2] about Debian — through SPI — doing to a former volunteer what ICBM — via Fedora and some external law firm — did to that same former volunteer*. Internet tribunals deem that kind of SLAPP a form of “harassment” (to quote directly) as it’s a slap across to face to the notion of free speech online.

“Some people donate hard-earned money thinking that they help Free software projects and their money ends up landing in the bank accounts of millionaire bullies who use Microsoft Windows to type threatening letters to people who actually develop Free software.”By curious coincidence, Francis Gurry (WIPO) comes from the same university as the volunteer and Julian Assange too comes from there. WIPO has long been a big bully, fronting for corporate bullies. That they’re now going under the skin of volunteers is a really low blow, even if their laws get weaponised by opportunistic lawyers who never even used GNU/Linux and don’t have the most basic understanding of how the Free software community actually functions. Debian ought not waste its constrained budget literally paying bullies, as happened before. I too have been a victim of such bullying, even as recently as months ago. Some people donate hard-earned money thinking that they help Free software projects and their money ends up landing in the bank accounts of millionaire bullies who use Microsoft Windows to type threatening letters to people who actually develop Free software.

The Debian trademark is now being mishandled by few individuals working for large corporations, just like the Linux Foundation misuses the "Linux" brand. █
____
* They just don't care about the people who did all the work without being paid for it. How’s that for gratitude?

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