>Hardware that respects your freedom
>As I read today, to the GNU/FSF Press mailing list, Free Software Foundation, announced the criteria for hardware endorsement program “Respects Your Freedom”.
The endorsement criteria are:
1) The sellers’ discharge of its commitment to ensure that all product software will always be Free Software.
2) The seller must give the user, along with the product software source code, the practical capability to install replacement software for any and all of the free software in the device.
3) In addition to being free, all the product software must be buildable using 100% free software that’s released to the public, on a 100% free operating system that is released to the public.
4) All the software needed for the user to fully use and administer the product, and to get full use of all its features, must be free.
5) The programs needed to build, install and manage the product software must be released as free software.
6) The product must not transmit or make available to anyone other than the owner any information about the owner’s or the product’s identity, location or activity except (1) when the owner asks to do so, (2) when inevitable due to communication protocols used, or (3) when required by law.
7) To prevent confusion among customers about exactly what product has been endorsed, any other products offered by the seller, which are not endorsed by the FSF, must be easily distinguishable from endorsed products: their names must not be similar and their packaging must also not be similar.
8) Encumbered formats are those whose implementation is impeded by patents, interface copyrights or other restrictions. If the device supports encumbered formats, it must also support free formats that serve the same purpose.
9) Any software patents the seller owns, that cover any aspect of the product software or its operation, must be licensed to all users of any version of the software, in a way consistent with use and redistribution of that software as free software.
10) Generally useful technical documentation about the product, such as user or developer manuals, must be released under a free license.
11) Any product related materials that mention the FSF endorsement must not also carry endorsements or badges related to proprietary software, such as “Works with Windows” or “Made for Mac” badges, because these would give an appearance of legitimacy to those products, and may make users think the product requires them.
12) The seller must use FSF approved terminology for the FSF’s activities and work, in all statements and publications relating to the product.
13) Failing to meet these requirements at any point can result in immediate revocation of the endorsement.