Re: FSF continuously harms Free Hardware

[Jacob Hrbek]

> In my view, the idea of "free hardware" is not a good concept.  The 
distinction between free and nonfree software is crucially about whether 
users can change it.  But most changes in hardware are impossible.  I 
don't think that distinction makes sense for physical pieces of hardware.
>
> Rather, it makes sense for hardware _designs_. -- RMS

I agree that the term "Free Hardware Designs" ("FHD") is more 
appropriate for the presented argument so i will use it from now.

> Yes, we certify hardware whose designs are not free.  There is no 
reason to be more strict than that  -- RMS

I dispute that let me explain:

I think that none in Free Software would support being forced to use 
proprietary software filled with malware that injects malware in their 
free software with hardware designs it is the exact same situation just 
instead instead of "compiler" you have "fabricators".

.. Be it using anything from an intel CPU with minix backdoor, using 
Nvidia GPUs with non-free drivers to using chip with firmware that 
restricts modem connection and enables unknown remote entity to push 
instructions in ring-0 (alleged pinephone and librem 5 issue) as that 
puts a hard limitations of what we can do with Free Software.

So i believe that if FSF took a supportive action for FHD would enable 
us all to make a hardware that actually does the computing to the user's 
wishes and made the whole fabrication process even more economical and 
ecological as it would not sabotage work by developers such as 
PowerProgressCommunity and enabled smaller projects to sustain 
themselves and have themselves known.

>  and it would make the certification program almost a no-op. -- RMS

I disagree that it would make it a almost no-op as there is a lot of FHD 
developers that would probably be more then happy to get their designs 
certified, but if you want to maintain the support for non-free FHD 
developers that enable the use of fully Free Software then at least 
consider making a new category for FHD on ryf.fsf.org.

> Our lawyer assured me that that is not an obstacle to using GPL 3 for 
other kinds of works.  And publishing proprietary modified versions 
would violate the license. -- RMS

I though you would say that so i filled `gnu.org #1798270` 
(https://github.com/Homers3D/Tevo-Tornado/issues/5), please consider 
following the case as i believe that it shows how difficult and painful 
it is to enforce hardware designs violations on GPLv3 which is why 
CERN-2.0 is preferred in FHD.

On 1/18/22 04:27, Richard Stallman wrote:
> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
>
> In my view, the idea of "free hardware" is not a good concept.  The
> distinction between free and nonfree software is crucially about
> whether users can change it.  But most changes in hardware are
> impossible.  I don't think that distinction makes sense for physical
> pieces of hardware.
>
> Rather, it makes sense for hardware _designs_.
>
> https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-hardware-designs.html states our reasons
> for this position.  I wish you agreed with us, but we can live with
> your disagreement.
>
> Yes, we certify hardware whose designs are not free.  There is no reason
> to be more strict than that -- and it would make the certification program
> almost a no-op.
>
>    > The GPLv3 even when used in good faith by hardware developers such as
>    > https://github.com/Creality3DPrinting/Ender-3 is legally problematic as
>    > it's referring to the copyrighted material as "software".
>
> Our lawyer assured me that that is not an obstacle to using GPL 3
> for other kinds of works.  And publishing proprietary modified versions
> would violate the license.
>
> --
> Dr Richard Stallman (https://stallman.org)
> Chief GNUisance of the GNU Project (https://gnu.org)
> Founder, Free Software Foundation (https://fsf.org)
> Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)
--
Jacob Hrbek

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