-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [meronidavide@libero.it: A Call to Action in OASIS] Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 06:36:23 +0100 From: Holger Blasum holgerlists@blasum.net To: us-parl@ffii.org
----- Forwarded message from DAVIDE MERONI -----
To: Nettime-l From: DAVIDE MERONI Subject: A Call to Action in OASIS Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 15:54:01 +0100 Reply-To: DAVIDE MERONI
A Call to Action in OASIS
The free and open source software community has long demanded that industry standards be freely available to all to implement without patent or other licensing encumbrances. Open standards are essential for free software and open source to thrive.
Now OASIS, a major industry consortium that produces e-business and Web services standards, has adopted a patent policy that threatens to undermine our development and licensing model. This patent policy (available, grouped together with other unrelated legal issues, in http://www.oasis-open.org/who/intellectualproperty.php) permits standards to be based upon so-called "reasonable and non-discriminatory" patent license terms--terms which invariably and unreasonably discriminate against open source and free software to the point of prohibiting them entirely. It would lead to the adoption of standards that cannot be implemented in open source and free software, that cannot be distributed under our licenses. While the policy includes a provision for royalty-free standards, it is a secondary option, which will have little effect if a few OASIS members with patents can ensure it is not used. The OASIS patent policy will encourage large patent holders to negotiate private arrangements among themselves, locking out all free software and open source developers.
This is not a new issue for us. We fought hard for a royalty-free patent policy in W3C and encouraged that standards organization to commit its members to open standards. But some W3C member companies, steadfast opponents of software freedom, moved their efforts to OASIS. Without consulting the free software/open source community, they produced a patent policy designed so that we cannot live with it.
We ask you to stand with us in opposition to the OASIS patent policy. Do not implement OASIS standards that aren't open. Demand that OASIS revise its policies. If you are an OASIS member, do not participate in any working group that allows encumbered standards that cannot be implemented in open source and free software.
Please send email to open@rosenlaw.com to indicate your support. We will forward your comments to the proper authorities at OASIS.
If we stand united in opposition to this unacceptable patent policy, we can persuade OASIS to change it.
/signed/ Lawrence Rosen Bruce Perens Richard Stallman Lawrence Lessig Eben Moglen Marten Mickos John Weathersby John Terpstra Tim O'Reilly Tony Stanco Don Marti Michael Tiemann Andrew Aitken Karen Copenhaver Doug Levin Dan Ravicher Larry Augustin Mitchell Kapor Russell Nelson Guido van Rossum Daniel Quinlan Murugan Pal Stuart Cohen Danese Cooper Eric Raymond Mark Webbink Ken Coar Doc Searls Brian Behlendorf
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"In India, open source code software will have to come and stay in a big way for the benefit of our billion people." -- Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India, May 28, 2003
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President ADDRESS AT THE JUDICIAL COLLOQUIUM ON SCIENCE, LAW AND ETHICS AT NATIONAL JUDICIAL ACADEMY, BHOPAL 19-02-2005 : (Through Video Conference) From New Delhi
Q.2 Computers and information technology have an important role in reducing the arrears in the courts as well as in helping in other areas. Broadly there are two kinds of software�s to do that. Proprietary and Open Source. Which one is better?
- Justice Yathindra Singh, Justice Allahabad High Court
PRESIDENT Answer:
First of all, I would like to clarify that the choice of proprietary vs. open software is driven by the usage and requirements of the user at the operating system level.
Since, proprietary software is predominantly used at the client level; many users are familiar and comfortable with this.
However, at the server level mature users choose the software as per their requirement.
Open source operating system enables the development of language independent software�s and also building one�s own security algorithms to suit his requirement.
Indian IT industry is capable of providing a solution for the justice delivery system and its e Governance to the justice administration on top of any proprietary or open source systems.
What is important here is justice delivery system should be inter-operable system built on top of open standards such as web services.
Q.3 In case in your opinion open source software is more secure, cheaper and better option or is as good as proprietary software, then
a. Why all courses in computer science at school level teach only proprietary software?
b. Why should almost all Govt office continue to have proprietary software
c. Why should govt. despite saying that they do not have any preference continue to favour proprietary software?
- Justice Yathindra Singh, Justice Allahabad High Court
PRESIDENT Answer:
This has already been answered above.
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Ramanraj K -
Venkat Kumaraswamy