Strengthening F-Droid's Legal Resilience – Introducing the Research Series

In April, we published a piece outlining some of the work underway to help strengthen the F-Droid project against unjust intrusion, interception and monitoring. We shared how contributors, maintainers, and developers in the free software world are increasingly navigating takedown demands, vague or impractical regulations, and aggressive enforcement actions and how we, as a community, need better tools and strategies to face these challenges.

That article marked the beginning of a longer-term initiative, and today we’re excited to kick off a new series of blog posts that will share what we’ve been working on since then.

Why This Project Matters

Thanks to support from OTF’s FOSS Sustainability Fund, this legal resilience project was launched to help F-Droid, and the people who contribute to and depend on it, become more resilient in the face of these legal complexities, and to navigate them safely and responsibly.

F-Droid operates under the legal umbrella of The Commons Conservancy. The Commons Conservancy is a nonprofit foundation based in the Netherlands. This provides us with a clearly defined jurisdiction and a foundation for legal compliance. However, because F-Droid is built for a global community and operates in a European country we still face legal pressure from multiple jurisdictions and European regulations. 

Our goals for the project are simple but vital:

• Shield individual contributors from legal liability and overreach
• Handle abusive legal threats in a consistent, safe, and efficient way
• Maintain transparency where legally possible
• Mitigate risk by improving our infrastructure, governance, and policies
• Document and share what we’ve learned so other FOSS projects can benefit too

How We Got Here

Over the last several months, we’ve conducted in-depth interviews with legal experts, nonprofit infrastructure providers, digital rights organizations, and developers who’ve faced these challenges firsthand.

We spoke with people from:

• Software Freedom Conservancy
• Software Freedom Law Center India
• Free Software Foundation Europe
• Commons Conservancy
• Calyx Institute
• KDE e.V.
• VideoLAN
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Mozilla
• and several independent lawyers, legal professors, developers, F-Droid contributors and digital rights advocates

We asked questions about takedown processes, government authority requests for information and contributor exposure. We also explored topics like how to establish legal jurisdiction, transparency and ethics, about content moderation, and more. These conversations gave us not only legal insight, but also practical strategies for building strong and sustainable resistance, even without a full-time legal team or corporate war chest.

What Comes Next

This blog series will share our findings in a transparent, actionable way. Each post will explore a key theme such as takedown requests, contributor protection, or governance models, and highlight how different organizations have approached these challenges.

We’ll include:

• Tips and best practice examples
• Practical policy recommendations for F-Droid
• Case studies and real-world examples

We’re publishing this work not just for our own benefit, but because we know many other FOSS projects are wrestling with the same questions. By sharing what we’ve learned, we hope to contribute to a wider conversation about sustainability and safety in the free software world.

Disclaimer: Please note, the information included in this and subsequent articles is not to be construed as legal advice. We are merely sharing information learned from the interviews conducted and research from articles and online sources. Should you require legal assistance, consider reaching out to specialized lawyers in your jurisdiction or organizations who focus on technology cases and who have legal expertise such as Software Freedom Law Center India or the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law or consider applying to a nonprofit umbrella like Software Freedom Conservancy.

Up Next

In our next post, we’ll dive into how to establish legal jurisdiction and legal entities. 

If you have feedback, questions, or legal experience you would like to share, we would love to hear from you at [email protected]

Together, we can make F-Droid, and the broader free software ecosystem, stronger, safer, and more resilient.

Legal Disclaimer

The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, F-Droid makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, or suitability of the information contained herein.

F-Droid is not a law firm and does not offer legal services. Any reliance you place on the information provided is strictly at your own risk. If you have questions about legal obligations, rights, or compliance, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified legal professional familiar with your jurisdiction.

F-Droid and its contributors disclaim all liability for any loss or damage arising from the use or misuse of this content.