Photos from the Candle Light Vigil for Document Freedom organised by Free Software Users Group Bangalore. Many carried placards and banners in support of Open Document Format and against OOXML.

A group of individuals, comprising mostly software engineers and others, who oppose the use of proprietary software, got together for a candlelight vigil to raise awareness and give a human face to what has largely been a protest in blogs and on websites.News report on Candle light vigil for Document freedom.

Members of the Free Software User Group stage a candle light vigil to protest patenting of software in front of Twonhall in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Yesterday I blogged on my greatest contribution to the Say No To Software Patent event to be held at Bangalore - a piece of web banner. Today there is something more. A sticker and t-shirt design!

The first official announcement of the Document Freedom Day: Introducing the Document Freedom Day: "On 26 March 2008, the Document Freedom Day will provide a global rallying point for Document Liberation and Open Standards.

Document Freedom Day (DFD) is a global grassroots effort to promote and build awareness of the importance of free document formats in particular and open standards in general. If you have ever received a document from a friend that your software could not open, then you know the frustration of proprietary formats.

Today, activists in 37 cities around the world are raising awareness for Open Standards and open document formats. In workshops, talks and other events, they are explaining why Open Standards and Free Software are crucial to a free and competitive information society. "It's great to see the power of the community behind Document Freedom Day", says campaign coordinator Fernanda Weiden.

"The Document Freedom Day (DFD) is a global day for Document Liberation with grassroots action for promotion of Free Document Formats and Open Standards in general. The DFD was initiated and is supported by a group of organisations and companies, including, but not limited to, the Free Software Foundation Europe, ODF Alliance, OpenForum Europe, IBM, Red Hat and Sun Microsystems, Inc. On 26 March 2008, the Document Freedom Day will provide a global rallying point for Document Liberation..."

"Many of us in the Free Software community have a certain level of “activist” within us, pushing those around us towards the ideals that we cherish. Ideals such as freedom. Freedom of communication, freedom of data, freedom of choice. This March 26th is Document Freedom Day, another occasion where we can band together and help promote Open Document Standards..."