The Freecycle Network
| The Freecycle Network |
| Abbreviation |
TFN |
| Motto |
Changing the world one gift at a time. |
| Formation |
1 May 2003 (2003-05-01) (8 years ago)[1] |
| Legal status |
501(c)3 |
| Purpose/focus |
Recycling |
| Region served |
121 countries[1] |
| Membership |
8,406,190[2] |
| Founder & Executive Director |
Deron Beal[3] |
| Hub Coordinator |
Stephanie[3] |
| TM Team Leader |
Charlotte[3] |
| Website |
http://www.freecycle.org/ |
The Freecycle Network (often abbreviated TFN or just known as Freecycle) is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Arizona, USA, and separately registered as a UK charity,[4] that organizes a worldwide network of "gifting" groups, aiming to divert reusable goods from landfills. It provides a worldwide online registry, and coordinates the creation of local groups and forums for individuals and non-profits to offer and receive free items for reuse or recycling, promoting gift economics as a motivating cultural outlook.[5] "Changing the world one gift at a time" is The Freecycle Network's official tagline.
Background
The organization originated as a project of RISE Inc., a nonprofit corporation, to promote waste reduction in Tucson, Arizona. RISE subsequently handed it over to the project leader, Deron Beal. Beal set up the first Freecycle e-mail group for the citizens of Tucson. The concept has since spread to over 85 countries, with thousands of local groups and millions of members.
Each local group currently exists either as a Yahoo! Groups mailing list or on the TFN's own MyFreecycle software run by volunteer moderators. TFN encourages the formation of new groups, subject to approval by regional New Group Approvers (NGAs). Groups approved by TFN are listed at the official website, can use the name and logo, and are subject to rules enforced by a structure of global and regional GOAs (Group Outreach Assistance). TFN originally planned to move a custom designed, centralized site in 2004, but the project moved slowly, largely because of a shortage of skilled volunteer labor. In 2008, Freecycle went live with a beta version of a centralized, custom site. As of March 2009, all new groups must be started on www.Freecycle.org's new group system, giving TFN even more control over the individual groups. Moderators of existing Yahoogroups have the choice (at this time) of remaining on Yahoogroups or moving their groups to the freecycle.org site.[6]
Successes
TFN has grown rapidly into a global organization of over four thousand local chapters, and passed the 2 million member mark in February 2006.[7][8]
As of May 2011, the membership stands at 8,406,190 across 4,940 communities.[9]
The original idea has since been copied and varied by hundreds of similar groups around the world.
Controversies
Corporate support
In February 2005, Deron Beal accepted TFN's first corporate support of $130,000 from Waste Management, Inc. (WMI)[10]
Trademark issues
- A formal trademark opposition[11] was filed in federal court by FreecycleSunnyvale against The Freecycle Network[12] in January 2006. An injunction was granted against Mr. Oey in May 2006 for allegedly disparaging the TFN trademark.[13] This injunction was stayed in July 2006 and was eventually dissolved by the Ninth Circuit in September 2007.[14]
- During 2006, in order to defend their trademark TFN also pursued other free recycling groups who either mentioned the term "freecycle" or allegedly had "confusingly similar derivations thereof".[15]
- Free speech advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 38 law professors filed an Amicus brief[16] to oppose a trademark infringement lawsuit TFN filed against Tim Oey. The basis for the opposition is that the lawsuit violates First Amendment rights. Separately Jimmy Wales, and some law professors, including Lawrence Lessig, filed a second amicus brief[17] also supporting Tim Oey.
- On November 24, 2010, TFN lost its trademark claim to "Freecycle" and to its logo in United States federal court.[18] In her opinion Judge Callahan stated unequivocally that "Beal did not coin the word “freecycle” and TFN is not the first organization to promote freecycling" and that "even ... viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to TFN ... [they] engaged in naked licensing and consequently abandoned the trademarks."[19]
UK breakaway
Over the course of 2009, there was repeated conflict between the UK's Independent Association of Freecycle Moderators and the US-based founders of the company, regarding the lack of freedom for UK-based Freecycle groups to develop new localized initiatives and features, and their treatment of volunteer group owners and moderators.[20] This culminated in the UK Director Neil Morris and at least 20 local group owners and moderators being dismissed and replaced with US-based counterparts. In response the leaders of Brighton’s Freecycle broke away from their US parent organisation and formed a rival site, GreenCycleSussex[21] and other UK-based Freecycle groups formed a new independent association called Freegle.[22][23][24]
As of March 2010, Freecycle UK claimed 494 groups with 1,722,575 members.
See also
References
- ^ a b http://www.freecycle.org/about/background
- ^ http://www.freecycle.org
- ^ a b c http://www.freecycle.org/about/staff
- ^ "Freecycle UK" is registered under charity number 1118148 and its registration refers to uk.freecycle.org as its official website address.
- ^ Shah, Dhavan V; Nelson, Michelle R; Friedland, L.; Nelson, M. R. (2007). The politics of consumption/the consumption of politics. American Academy of Political and Social Science. 611. Sage, cop. 6. doi:10.1177/0002716207299647. ISBN 1412959349. "Nelson, Rademacher, and Paek explore the underpinnings of sharing and civic identity through a case study of consumers in a second-order, online consumption community: Freecycle.org. Results show that these individuals hold downshifting attitudes (favor less work and less consumption). Yet the downshifting does not necessarily mean increased civic engagement in a traditional sense. Rather, political and civic engagement for this group included political consumption and digital forms of political participation."
- ^ The Freecycle Network moderator Yahoogroup
- ^ The Freecycle Network Tops Two Million Member Mark Today!, Press release
- ^ Jeffery, Yvonne; Barclay, Liz; Grosvenor, Michael (2008). Green Living For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 329. ISBN 9780470227428. http://books.google.com/?id=IAI2TeUCM4QC
- ^ http://www.freecycle.org/
- ^ Angel, Wendy (1 March 2005). "Free and Fabulous". WasteAge. http://www.wasteage.com/mag/waste_free_fabulous/. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
- ^ FreecycleSunnyvale (18 January 2006). "Notice of Opposition" (PDF). Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, USPTO: Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, USPTO. ESTTA62464. http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91168664-OPP-1.pdf. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
- ^ FreecycleSunnyvale v. The Freecycle Network, No. C06-00324CW (N.D. Cal. 2006).
- ^ The Freecycle Network, Inc. v. Oey, No. CV 06-173 (CV-06-00173-RCC), 5 (D. Ariz. May 11, 2006).
- ^ http://caselaw.findlaw.com/data2/circs/9th/0616219p.pdf
- ^ http://www.chillingeffects.org/trademark/notice.cgi?NoticeID=5022
- ^ http://volokh.com/files/freecyclelemleybrief.pdf
- ^ http://volokh.com/files/freecyclepostbrief.pdf
- ^ http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&id=6546
- ^ http://courtlistener.com/ca9/VsM/freecyclesunnyvale-v-the-freecycle-network/
- ^ UK Freecycle moderators break away from US network The Guardian, September 10, 2009
- ^ Brighton Freecycle leaders go solo The Argus, 12th September 2009
- ^ http://www.ilovefreegle.org/about/history.php Freegle History
- ^ Ian Johnston (19 Sep 2009). "Freecycle in bitter transatlantic split; Freecycle, the giveaway movement that helps internet users swap things they no longer want, has split with hundreds of thousands of UK members who have joined a rival group.". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/6208589/Freecycle-in-bitter-transatlantic-split.html.
- ^ Jones, Sam (12 October 2009). "Accusations of very tight control split UK recycling network from US parent: 'Overbearing input' from the States stops British groups making their own decisions, say volunteers". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/12/freecycle-freegle-recycling-networks-groups.
External links
Official sites