Fwd: IDAD is coming soon: Stand with the FSF in support of the freedom to share on December 16

Fri Dec 9 02:28:16 PST 2022

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Greg Farough, FSF" <info at fsf.org>
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:04:06 -0500
Subject: IDAD is coming soon: Stand with us in support of the freedom
to share on December 16
To: Karl Semich <0xloem at gmail.com>

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*Read and share online:
<https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/idad-is-coming-soon-stand-with-us-in-support-of-the-freedom-to-share-on-december-16>*

Dear Karl Semich,

The sixteenth [International Day Against DRM (IDAD)][1] is next week,
and all of us that contribute to the [Defective by Design][2] campaign
are calling on you to help us send a message to purveyors of [Digital
Restrictions Management (DRM)][3] around the world, letting them know
that DRM is unacceptable in any and all of its forms. **This year's
Day Against DRM will be held next Friday, on December 16, 2022.**

[1]: https://dayagainstdrm.org
[2]: https://defectivebydesign.org
[3]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm_digital_restrictions_management

In this year's IDAD, we want to celebrate and call attention to an
increasingly rare, almost magical ability that most forms of media
*used* to have, and which all ethical digital media still does today:
**the ability to be shared with a friend.**

In our [year-end fundraiser][4], we've been stressing the importance
of sharing. Though sharing is the basis of human culture, the most
staunch defenders of [unjust copyright][5] legislation would have you
believe that every creative work is dropped wholesale out of the sky,
without influence from anything that came before it. In 2022,
monolithic mega-corporations would have you believe that these
creative works should be "temporary," something that "expires" after
it's seen once or twice under a restrictive license on restricting
technology. (See, for example, section 3.a.ii of the Disney Plus
Subscriber Agreement.)

[4]: https://fsf.org/appeal
[5]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/blog/spring_mouse_trap_dont_fall_disney

This year, let's remind everyone that things didn't use to be this
way, but more importantly, that they don't *have* to be this way. Just
as DRM crept into our lives one choice at a time, it can be weeded out
in the same way: with one conscious decision after another and support
from a community of like-minded activists.

What seems like a small act of lending on your part can be the perfect
springboard for a conversation on why it's important to avoid DRM,
even if that means forgoing a popular Netflix series or streamed film
in favor of something produced by companies that sell their works in a
way that doesn't trample your freedom. As inundated by advertising as
we are, we often forget just how *many* works of art are still
distributed ethically. Lending one of these to a friend or family
member could be a great start.

On this year's IDAD, we'll be working to put focus on sharing, *taking
to the streets of Boston* on the day of the event and recording videos
we hope will be helpful in understanding people's thoughts and
perspectives on sharing in contemporary digital life. This insight,
gained through outreach, is useful because it helps us anti-DRM
activists understand how we can better educate people on the problems
and ethical pitfalls of DRM.

You can have your own effect on the fight for our freedom to share all
while staying at home by recording a brief video on why you think the
#FreedomtoShare is important and posting it to social media. As with
any social cause, even the smallest of actions (or refusals to
participate in an unjust system) help the movement as a whole.

### What you can do

There are many ways you can educate others about the freedom to
share. Some ideas that we came up with, which you might find useful,
are:

* Share a physical or digital DRM-free work with a friend (you can use
  the [DRM-free Guide][6]!) and use it to start a conversation about
  DRM;

* Let us and the world know why the freedom to share is important in a
  short video posted to social media. You can use the hashtags
  #FreedomtoShare and #DayAgainstDRM;

* Challenge yourself to go a "Day without DRM," and refuse to engage
  with media peddled by Disney+, Amazon, Peacock, and others that
  don't respect your digital autonomy;

* Be on the lookout for the videos that we'll be recording on this
  year's IDAD, and please share them.

[6]: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/guide

We hope to see you taking part in this year's IDAD as we prepare more
anti-DRM actions through the Defective by Design campaign. While some
aspects of the struggle have changed, the core principles remain the
same: users should not be forced to surrender their digital autonomy
in exchange for media.

**Are you an organization or project interested in supporting or
sponsoring IDAD?**

We're looking for vendors of DRM-free media, organizations that
support the building of a DRM-free world, and those who believe in the
mission of DbD to participate in this IDAD. You can do this by
offering sales, writing blog posts, organizing events, and sharing
with your members about IDAD. Please contact us at
<info at defectivebydesign.org> to let us know what you are planning, so
we can amplify your actions, or if you need more information. If
you're an organization interested in sponsoring IDAD, please contact
us at the same address for more information. If you're hosting your
own event, please let us know, and we'll do what we can to promote it.

In solidarity,

Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager

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