Stian Rødven Eide (ed.): Free Beer 1.0 (2009)

FREE BEER (version 1.0) is a collection of texts written by speakers at FSCONS 2008 (Free Society Conference and Nordic Summit) and based on their respective talks. FREE BEER is based on classic communication technology, but with added hypertext protocols for a natural energy boost.

FSCONS is a meeting place for social change, focused on the future of free software and free society. The growing speed of new and innovative changes taking place within digital culture, as well as the pressing need for members of a marginalized society to gain access to important, updated information without financial or governmental barriers

The authors of FREE BEER are Rasmus Fleischer, Jeremiah Foster, Stefan Larsson, Mike Linksvayer, Smári McCarthy, Henrik Moltke, Nikolaj Hald Nielsen, Denis Jaromil Rojo, Johan Söderberg, Victor Stone and Ville Sundell.

The entire book is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license, version 2.5. This licence gives everyone the right to share, modify and even make money from the book, as long as it happens under the same licence.

Of course, FREE BEER is also a beer. You can find out more about the beer in the interview on page 57.

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Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman (2002)

The intersection of ethics, law, business and computer software is the subject of these essays and speeches by MacArthur Foundation Grant winner, Richard M. Stallman. This collection includes historical writings such as The GNU Manifesto, which defined and launched the activist Free Software Movement, along with new writings on hot topics in copyright, patent law, and the controversial issue of “trusted computing.” Stallman takes a critical look at common abuses of copyright law and patents when applied to computer software programs, and how these abuses damage our entire society and remove our existing freedoms. He also discusses the social aspects of software and how free software can create community and social justice.

Given the current turmoil in copyright and patent laws, including the DMCA and proposed CBDTPA, these essays are more relevant than ever. Stallman tackles head-on the essential issues driving the current changes in copyright law. He argues that for creativity to flourish, software must be free of inappropriate and overly-broad legal constraints. Over the past twenty years his arguments and actions have changed the course of software history; this new book is sure to impact the future of software and legal policies in the years to come.

By Richard M. Stallman, Lawrence Lessig, Joshua Gay, Free Software Foundation (Cambridge, Mass.)
Contributor Lawrence Lessig, Joshua Gay
Published by Free Software Foundation, 2002
ISBN 1882114981, 9781882114986
224 pages

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this book provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies.

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