[ilugd] CPI(M) manifesto calls for promotion of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
Dear All, The political support for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) continues to increase. The CPI(M) manifesto released on the 16th of March calls for the promotion of FOSS. The manifesto can be accessed at http://www.cpim.org/manifesto.pdf Following are some of the highlights of the policy - - Promoting FOSS and other such new technologies, which are free from monopoly ownership through copyrights or patents; - Revamping the functioning of the Patent offices to ensure strict adherence to the Indian Patent Act; Stop training and orientation of Indian Patent office personnel by the US and European Patent offices These above measures are critical to support the public education system, local economy and the knowledge commons and counter neo-liberal pressures that aim to privatize the public information/knowledge domain. The CPI(M) has been a traditional supporter of free software, the comprehensive IT programs in Kerala, including in the public school system (http://itschool.gov.in/otherprograms.php#6) is based on FOSS. With key parties from both the left and the right end of the political spectrum endorsing FOSS, the Congress is left as the only major national party which is yet to formally take a position on FOSS. One hopes that the Congress too will soon extend its support for free software when it releases its own manifesto next week, and explicitly acknowledge the significant political, socio-cultural and economic advantages of FOSS over proprietary software platforms (see http://public-software.in/FOSS-manifesto for a call from the Network of the FOSS Community in India to the political parties, to recognise the advantages of FOSS in their election manifestos). Thanks, Vinay. ___ ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/
Re: [ilugd] CPI(M) manifesto calls for promotion of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
On Wednesday 18 Mar 2009, vinay ವಿನಯ್ wrote: The CPI(M) manifesto released on the 16th of March calls for the promotion of FOSS. The manifesto can be accessed at http://www.cpim.org/manifesto.pdf Following are some of the highlights of the policy - - Promoting FOSS and other such new technologies, which are free from monopoly ownership through copyrights or patents; - Revamping the functioning of the Patent offices to ensure strict adherence to the Indian Patent Act; Stop training and orientation of Indian Patent office personnel by the US and European Patent offices I wish they'd also explicitly mentioned revamping the school IT syllabus. OTOH, it's great we have at least one more party with a stated vision that encompasses FOSS -- now everything else being equal I'd toss a coin and vote for either BJP or CP/M ;) Digression... I don't recall the BJP stating a position on patents in agriculture and pharmaceuticals yet. However, at the risk of being forever banned from this list, I believe that openness and transparency in those sectors is orders of magnitude more critical than some piddly little software patent and FOSS vs proprietary software debate that only affects a few of us elite types. People dying because of lack of food, farmers unable to use the seeds of their crop for their next sowing, patients not receiving treatment since they cannot afford patent-encumbered medicines -- these are issues that make intellectual debates about software seem as relevant as a dispute in a kids games of marbles during all-out nuclear conflict. From that point of view, thank you CP/M for at least mentioning patents in agriculture on page 16. OldMonk's Thought of the Day: No one died because of proprietary software. /digression Regards, -- Raju -- Raj Mathurr...@kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F PsyTrance Chill: http://schizoid.in/ || It is the mind that moves ___ ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/
Re: [ilugd] CPI(M) manifesto calls for promotion of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
Hai friends, If we are speaking in the platform of free software movement. *Inclusion of FOSS in the Election manifesto is Important. * ** ** To all of you dont use this platform for your political ideology.* This is my sincere appeal..!* ** ** Sarath Babu Junior Research Fellow, CSRD,SSS-I JNU ___ ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/
