Dear Parminder, Thanks for the kind words. It was a massive team effort spanning more than three years. The real credit goes to those unsung heroes in academia and government who toiled really hard behind the scenes. When the key discussions were happening, they were the ones who withstood the pressure to dilute the policy. I was lucky to have a very visible role because of my writing and speaking skills, plus tremendous organizational backing from Red Hat, for the last three years.
At a later date, I want to write a more detailed account of the open standards battle and the previous OOXML battle to give people in our community (and also others involved in policy change in India) how policy battles need to be fought and won. In that account, I will try to give due credit to all the people involved. Right now, I don't want to single out anyone because the focus should be on what we accomplished as a team and where we need to go next. This is a tremendous victory for FOSS in India and a truly defining moment. This victory, combined with our victory in keeping software patents out of the 2005 Patent Amendment Act means that we have been extremely successful in containing two of the biggest threats to FOSS. The tremendous energies that we channeled into defending FOSS now needs to be focussed on expanding FOSS to every nook and corner of India. Collectively, we will now have to demonstrate new levels of maturity, leadership and willingness to engage with the political establishment. We must build a new India on the principles of open source -- collaboration, transparency, sharing and merit. This is FOSS 2.0 for India and a great journey lies ahead of us. Venky On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 8:47 AM, parminder <parmin...@itforchange.net>wrote: > This is great! > > While many from the civil society were involved in helping shape a > progressive open standards in egov policy, and staving off the many strong > threats to it, Venky's contribution to this process was singularly > outstanding. I have seen few such committed personal efforts in advocacy. He > was single-mindedly focussed on 'not what we did' (the bane of much civil > society advocacy efforts) but on 'what happened', and 'what more could be > done to make more happen'. > > He not only studiously tracked every step and each movement in the policy > making process, at every point he did almost more than what is humanly > possible to contact all people who could be of use at the particular moment, > kept pursing them relentlessly, and saw to it that the best impact possible > of progressive actors was made. One can never fully judge what would have > happened if this or that had not been done, but I do consider it very likely > that we would not have got the policy in this shape without his efforts. So > special personal congratulations to you , Venky. Also to all others who did > so much work in this matter. Not much good is happening in India's policy > making spaces today, and these few victories feel that much sweeter. > Parminder > > On Friday 12 November 2010 05:26 PM, Venkatesh Hariharan wrote: > > The open standards policy has been finalized and it incorporates many of > the suggestions made by the FOSS community in India. In the previous draft > dated 25/11/2009, our major objection was to section 4.1.2 of the policy > which said, > > "4.1.2 The essential patent claims necessary to implement the Identified > Standard should preferably be > available on a Royalty-Free (no payment and no restrictions) basis for the > life time of the standard. > However, if such Standards are not found feasible and in the wider public > interest, then RF on Fair, > Reasonable and Non Discriminatory terms and conditions (FRAND) or > Reasonable and Non > Discriminatory terms and conditions (RAND) could be considered." > > Our comment on this section reads: > > The usage of terms like “preferably” in a section titled, “Mandatory > Characteristics” > weakens the section and could even render it meaningless. Mandatory > characteristics should be laid > out clearly and unambiguously, > > The term “essential patent claims,” is meaningless because a standard > cannot be implemented > partially. Therefore, the ENTIRE standard should be royalty-free and not > just the "essential" parts of it. > In other words, ALL patent claims necessary to implement the standard > should be royalty-free. Also, > RF on FRAND/RAND is self-contradictory. If a Standard is Royalty Free (RF) > then it cannot be RAND. > Therefore, the wording of this section should be changed to "ALL patent > claims necessary to > implement the Identified Standard should be available on a Royalty-Free (no > payment and no > restrictions) basis for the life time of the standard. However, if such > Standards are not found feasible > and in the wider public interest, then Fair, Reasonable and Non > Discriminatory terms and conditions > (FRAND) or Reasonable and Non Discriminatory terms and conditions (RAND) > could be considered.” > > As you can see from the extract below, the points mentioned above have been > incorporated In the recently finalized policy. This section now reads: > > 4.1.2 The Patent claims necessary to implement the Identified Standard > shall be made available on a Royalty-Free basis for the life time of the > Standard. > > Overall, I'd say this is a major victory for the Indian FOSS community and > more than three years of hard work have paid off. The file can be downloaded > from: > > http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standthe suggestions > mards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file<http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file> > > or from: > > http://egovstandards.gov.in<http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file>(click > on the links on the top left hand side). > > Venky > > > _______________________________________________ > network mailing > listnetw...@lists.fosscom.inhttp://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in > > > _______________________________________________ > network mailing list > network@lists.fosscom.in > http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in > >
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