We are proud to announce a new position at the Software Freedom Law Center: Director of International Programs. Over the past few years SFLC has become an increasingly International organization, working with the European Commission, launching SFLC India, and consulting with governments around the world on issues of free software licensing, policy, and use. Mishi Choudhary, counsel at SFLC and head of SFLC India, has always been at the heart of this work so it is only fitting that she is stepping up to fill the new position. Congratulations to Ms. Choudhary and we all look forward to a stronger international presence ahead.

This past weekend CBS News aired a segment on the FreedomBox featuring an interview with Eben Moglen. The piece covers the general outline and some of the difficulties facing the freedom-focused project that has picked up national attention and raised $80,000 in less than 20 days. Video is available either to watch (flash) or to download directly. More information about the project is available at the FreedomBox Foundation website.

Eben Moglen Executive Director of the Software Law Center, has a piece in the Guardian today entitled "Liberation by software". This is the second piece in the Guardian's "Democracy and digital media" series focusing on how the internet and other digital tools are changing the political balance of power around the world.

The newly created FreedomBox Foundation is getting some attention from the press today with a long piece in the New York Times entitled Decentralizing the Internet So Big Brother Can’t Find You by Jm Dwyer. The piece explores how the Freedom Box project fits in with the connection between network communication and political liberty.

The United States Supreme Court will decide a case this term that could determine whether free software developers are liable for patent infringement by users of their software. In the case, Global-Tech Appliances v. SEB, the Court will decide whether a person can be liable for inducing another's infringement of a patent by being "deliberately indifferent" to the likelihood that the patent exists. The Software Freedom Law Center, in the "friend of the court" brief it filed today, argued that this new standard would create uncertainty and discourage free software development.

Eben Moglen, Executive Director of the SFLC, testified at the Congressional “Do-Not-Track Legislation: Is Now the Right Time?” hearing held in Washington D.C. on December 2nd.

Eben's prepared testimony is available from our site (pdf) while video of the entire hearing is available from C-Span.

As per the committee's invitation, Eben submitted the following revised testimony (pdf).