Mission Statement

The Foundation

Our intention is to create affordable, free software (FOSS) and open hardware (OSHW), digital, motion picture technology for the professional production environment. All the things we pioneer or learn on this path shall be shared and made available to anyone.

Free

The apertus° association proudly serves the common good and does not seek profit in any way. It has been created to support and nurture the creation and distribution of knowledge. We release all of our software under the GNU General Public License V3, all our documentation under the Creative Commons License, and all hardware under the Cern Open Hardware License.

Empowering

We seek to empower users by helping them reclaim the liberties that proprietary manufacturers have previously and routinely taken away. We will not exploit the users of the tools we develop. As such we will not engage in or adopt conventional, for-profit growth strategies e.g. the planned obsolescence of products, limiting the functionality of products, etc.

Open Networks

We establish networks around open source technologies in the area of audiovisual media production so that the entire community stands to benefit.

Associated

The association is run by a set of rules - our Association Bylaws. These clearly define what can and cannot be done and establish a fundamental, democratic organisation structure. The board of directors run the association and are elected by association members.

Cultivation

We actively cultivate: free technology, free information, free education, free knowledge, free culture, free arts, etc. This requires that everything we create shall be freely available to anyone. Where possible we favour platforms, technologies and services that also live up to these ideals.

Fundamental Freedoms

The apertus° project is based on software that’s free to be used for any purpose - Free to be studied, examined, modified and redistributed (which includes the prospect of users distributing their own modified versions of software and hardware).

Respecting Your Privacy

We will not limit privacy or freedom. To correspond we favour platforms or technologies that also do not limit privacy or freedom. Organisations that fail to respect user privacy risk being avoided and or disregarded.

Fairness

We will not charge unreasonable prices for products or services.

Conscientiousness

Reuse instead of reproduce - We will make sure all our parts/products are properly recyclable and, if not otherwise possible, properly disposable.

In an effort to reduce the carbon emissions produced in relation to logistics local facilities and services are used for our production process.

Fair Labour

Endorsing fair labour - We do everything we can to make sure people are not exploited when working with us. This includes selecting companies that exercise fair labour as contractors (fair trade).

We endeavour to boycott the use of toxic chemicals in our manufacturing and assembly processes. In addition, when working with third parties, we favour organisations that also live up to these ideals.

Open Infrastructure

Where possible we use open source applications for internal design, communications and web related workings.