AFUL (Association Francophone des Utilisateurs de Linux)

As a non-for-profit association gathering users, professionals, companies and other associations based in more than a dozen of French speaking countries and regions such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and French speaking African countries, AFUL is present at many exhibitions, conferences and meetings, notably helping in the funding of actions and events like the Libre Software Meeting.

Being one of the most advanced actors worldwide in the fight against tied saling (computer sold with preinstalled software), and providing information to customers in the computer field (Workgroup against bundled sales, refund guide and petition, comparative list of computervendors, etc.), AFUL is in favor of interoperability -- see Workgroup Interop, member of AFNOR, participation to Interoperability and accessibility Referentials by DGME (Direction Générale de la Modernisation de l'État), Open Formats weblog, etc.

AFUL works on issues concerning author's rights and participates to the work of the French High Council on Copyright (CSPLA, Conseil Supérieur de la Propiété Littéraire et Artistique), especially regarding the current evolution towards more production of open access or free works, including -- but not limited to -- libre software.

Initiator in 1999 of the movement against software patents in Europe, AFUL is one of the founders of the Eurolinux Alliance and supports the Economic Majority actions.

AFUL is the key contact to reach the French speaking libre software community and maintains the canonical list of the French speaking Local Linux Users' Groups. It is also a key player in the education field, having agreements with the French Ministry of Education (since 1998) and the French Speaking University Agency (since 1999).

AFUL maintains a list of the economic models linked with libre software. Its members continuously debate to analyze, evaluate and give advice in the economical field.