Sponsoring policy

Due to the "libre" vocation of the LSM, the organisation comitee selects with extreme care its partners.

All public partners are welcome, along with companies that are not linked to the software business. The companies linked to the software business are also welcome if they deal amically with free software. This includes:

• not requesting software patents;
• not using FUD ("Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt");
• having, as a general rule, a constructive and co-operative attitude toward free software.

Companies writing only free software are by essence eligible. Software publishers are usually not. Other companies are to be examined on a case by case basis.

A selection comitee validates sponsors. It is composed of:

• Jean-Paul Chiron, president of ABUL;
• Damien Chrisment, president of LSM 2003 organisation comitee;
• Frédéric Couchet, president of APRIL.

A sponsor is accepted if and only if all the members of this comitee vote for it.

The current list of sponsors is:

	City of Metz
	Conseil Régional de Lorraine
	University de Metz
	Metz IUT
	APRIL
	AFUL (French speaking Linux and Libre Software Users' Association)
	Parinux (Parisian Free Software user Group)
	Free & Alter Soft
	Sirius Technologies
	Easter Eggs
	O'Reilly
	Linux Magazine France
	Login
	MACIF
	ACT Europe
	Libre Entreprise Network
	GANDI
	Supélec Metz
	Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers - Metz
	EITIC
	Code Lutin
	INRIA
	2LE
	Eikonex
	Netaktiv

also helps the LSM by offering free magazines to the particpants. Linux Magazine and Login also do that, in addition to offering ads for the LSM, which qualify both of them as sponsors. The group FAX plays for free during the libre supper.