[Fsf-friends] Fwd: [ilugd] CPI(M) manifesto calls for promotion of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

[Vikram Vincent]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Raj Mathur <raju at linux-delhi.org>
Date: 2009/3/19
Subject: Re: [ilugd] CPI(M) manifesto calls for promotion of Free and
Open Source Software (FOSS)
To: ilugd at lists.linux-delhi.org


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 Mathur                raju at 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

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