"I've published a second article for the Free Software Foundation about Apple's iPhone, looking at the measures Apple uses to control iPhone users and prevent developers from writing free software for the platform. It turns out that this is a good example of why updating the GPL was important, and why it's a good idea for developers to use the new version (GPLv3).

Let me issue a disclaimer right off. Before I ever typed my first GNU/Linux command in a terminal the Free Software Foundation was fighting the good fight for free software and all the issues surrounding individual freedom and privacy both on and offline.

"After that introduction, I am sure many of you want to know about Free Software. But unfortunately that's not what I am supposed to speak about. In fact, this topic, software patents, is not very closely related to the issue of Free Software. Software patents are a danger that affect all programmers and all computer users.

"The FSF, in it’s timeless crusade to make the world a more free place by spreading the use of free software, has issued a challenge to Apple. It does not agree with the Apple store selling restricted iPhone apps. Apple’s OSX operating system is chalk full of GNU’s free software, so they have their hand very much stuck in the fly paper.

"People are ignorant, but we already know that. As usual, I’ve read something really stupid on Twitter this morning. It said: I hope Apple will develop for everyone [every OS]. I think it would be one of the worst things to ever happen. Why do people want to install non-free software on free systems?

How many contributions are being left out of CUPS because of this stupid copyright assignment? It looks to me that such software is doomed to remain crippled as long as companies like Apple are in charge of their maintenance.

There is free software. And there is free software by Apple. And Oracle. And Canonical.

In terms of market share, Free software beats Apple (especially thanks to poorer regions where Microsoft too is struggling to win)

Another legal attack against Free software comes in the form of a threat (issued against Sandy3D) and Apple's reason for suing Android seems like gradual iPhone defeat (Linux is winning)

The Free Software Foundation is having a video contest on the subject "Why is free software important to you?" It's a timely topic, with Windows 7 just out and with the free software community's bickering so bitter as of late that common goals sometimes seem in danger of being forgotten.