What does the term “Free Software” mean? Free Software or also Open Source or Libre Software, may be used for any purpose and modified as desired, it may be distributed and copied free of charge and its code may be examined by independent bodies. To create trustworthy systems, public institutions must ensure that they have full control over the software and computer systems that are at the heart of our government digital infrastructure.

With “Public Money Public Code”, the Public IT Competence Centre (ÖFIT) together with the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) wants to bring the added value of Free Software closer to the public. This includes greater control over technology, more sustainability through the reuse of source code and the sharing of code and costs with other institutions.

The German translation of this publication of the Free Software Foundation Europe is co-edited by the Competence Center Public IT and is available for download as a complete publication on the ÖFIT website.