This travesty shows why free-of-charge isn't the freedom we need

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-microsoft-copyright-20180426-story.html

This pioneer of reducing the impact of disposable electronics deserves awards, but he's likely to do jail time. Per the article, "'This is a difficult sentencing,' U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley told [Lundgren] last year, 'because I credit everything you are telling me. You are a very remarkable person.'"

The restore discs Lundgren made to revive old laptops aren't counterfeit Windows CDs. They're a compilation of support and repair packages that Microsoft makes available to download for free-as-in-no-charge, and they're dependent on legally licensed copies of Windows being on the systems to run. If there's an infringement, it's the appearance of the restore discs, which is so trivial. Microsoft has clearly shown that they are not on the side of anyone fighting planned obsolescence and over-consumption.

Upcycling old computers and phones is important. Not only do you avoid the damages of landfilling hardware that can be revived, you avoid the impact of unnecessarily manufacturing new electronics with all their rare earths. Lundgren did the right thing, but didn't break the tether to companies that have proved hostile to his ethics. I use Linux and more open versions of Android to do the little bit of personal upcycling that I do, because they are free of this sort of license restriction, and easy to engineer cleanly so that they run fast and stably on older hardware. They're shared through an open community agreement; though corporations have gotten involved, the users have the last word - not unconscious executives willing to trash the planet for money. My choice to use open source software wherever possible is on principle, and I encourage others to do the same.

Free-as-in-no-charge means that you're tied down elsewhere.

Free-as-in-liberated gives you choices that matter.