Petition, recognition of open-source work
We are proud to provide our outstanding DJ software, Mixxx, as free and open-source software. Behind the screens, there is and has been a lot of hard work done over the years. Mixxx has been built by hundreds of people who spend their free time coding, testing, fixing bugs, and helping each other. Through Mixxx, our contributors promote art and culture as well as education and occupational training. This is the officially recognized purpose of our non-profit organization, Mixxx e.V., based in Germany.
However, there is a problem, Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering".
In Germany, we call this "Ehrenamt", which literally translates to an "office of honor". It means more than just volunteering. It is an official role where you serve the public good, and the state honors that contribution with special rights and respect. If you coach a football team, for instance, your work is visible and recognized by society. The state ensures you are covered by insurance and allows you to receive a small tax-free volunteer allowance (Ehrenamtspauschale). Currently, we cannot easily use these tools for our developers because "Open Source contribution" is not yet on the official list for these benefits.
It is always a challenge to find and keep contributors. Official recognition would make it easier for people to justify the time they spend on Mixxx. It shows that writing code for the community is just as valuable as any other social work. As a registered non-profit, we want to support our developers with the same respect other volunteers receive.
The petition "Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany" aims to change the law so that Open-Source contributors finally get the respect they deserve. We believe this petition sends an important message by urging the government to recognize the contribution of thousands of German open source developers, not just those working on Mixxx.
The organizers have extended the petition until November 23, 2026. This gives us more time to reach the goal of 30,000 signatures. Let’s help make it happen!
Please sign the petition here (Even if you are not from Germany, your support helps show the global impact of this issue!)
Thank you for your support!
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