Via its direct action campaign, DefectiveByDesign.org, the Free Software Foundation is hoping to convince the outspoken singer to back its campaign against what it calls digital restrictions management.
The hope is that by collecting 10,000 signatures, DefectiveByDesign will be able to convince Bono to add his name to the petition. Given his social activism, Bono is an obvious target for the FSF, but it remains to be seen how U2’s links with Apple Computer Inc will impact his views.
Apple has previously teamed up with U2 to launch special edition versions of its iPod MP3 device. Apple is a target for the FSF and DefectiveByDesign given its use of DRM technology to restrict music downloaded via iTunes to iPod devices.
The Free Software Foundation has declared DRM to be fundamentally at odds with the spirit of the free software movement, and the first draft of its forthcoming GNU General Public License version 3 mandates that no GPL-licensed program can be used in DRM software systems.
