mchauvet's Quotes

Until early this century, Free Software was only known by a small group of network experts or computer enthusiasts, who were the only ones able to enjoy their quality, versatility and low cost. April, thanks to its enthusiasm and professionalism helped extend this by working tirelessly to convince business and political leaders that it is counter-productive to bet solely on the proprietary model. Citizens who benefit today from more reliable, more open and less expensive services, owe a lot to April.

April does an excellent job in researching and disseminating on the economics of Free Software. Through practical initiatives such as its work-group "Companies" or its publications (eg the "White Paper on Economic Models of Free Software"), April contributes to the creation, development and success of new activities in a booming economic sector.

Why does the association April fully deserve the Lutèce d'Or award that it is receiving tonight? It will be receiving it through its Executive Director and tireless animator Frederic Couchet, that I salute in this message as he could not be here. April, a quite young association, has already played a crucial role in the battle so that new public spaces may be created in urban areas and more generally in all areas where digital cooperation and intelligence have become the driver producing sustainable growth.

For many Free Software contributors, the technical side of things prevails on a daily basis on the philosophical aspect. The existence of associations protecting this foundation of our community is therefore so vital, especially through their involvement in promoting Free Software and its values to the whole of our society: general public, government, private partners, etc.. In France, April is a major player in this field, and all the work done in recent years shows that April fulfills its role successfully.

The defense of Free Software ethics has a name: April. The jury's special prize awarded today by the trade merely confirms and enhances the mission that was set by its members.

Though we may not always agree with April on how to act or apprehend situations, we must be very clear about one point: they are essential as watchdogs for both our collective and our individual liberties in the digital domain. But they are more than that. They are passionate people, even warriors of Free Software, who fight to smarten up decisions that were often unfair or motivated by private interests. They are the necessary catalysts for an often silent mass. They have permitted us all to raise our voices. Thanks and bravo, it's up to us to continue their action.

Beyond the promotion of Free Software, April plays an important and unique role in France within the public debate on the Internet, especially when it comes to defending its open model.

All of April's actions are aimed towards actively promoting and defending Free solutions. During the debates on the DADVSI bill, on software patents or on so many other topics, April has helped to inform, to raise public awareness and to convince that beyond purely technical questions, Free Software encompasses economic, social and cultural stakes, choices and major directions that we need to define all together. Its professionalism and its expertise have become most valuable assets and have made it both the inevitable player and the privileged interlocutor it is today.

2006 has seen the voting of the "iPod law" on copyright in the information society (DADVSI), after several anti-democratic assaults from the government onto the Parliament. This law leaves only crumbs for culture and organizes repression against Internet users and Free Software users. It blows to smithereens the idea of interoperability and open formats, and hands the new vectors of culture and knowledge to multinational computing and audiovisual corporations.

During the parliamentary debates on software patents and the DADVSI bill, I have defended Free Software and I shall continue doing so. It is a very important issue, whether seen from an industrial, a national or a societal point of view. Free Software is an open, innovative and cooperative way of developing. It is an essential key towards independence and towards industrial and political balance for humankind.