Re: [ox-en] [Fwd: <nettime> dossier: WIPO knuckles under on open-source software]
- From: Timothy Baldwin <T.E.Baldwin99 members.leeds.ac.uk>
- Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 01:06:49 +0100
On Friday 29 Aug 2003 10:53 am, auskadi quotes "Dave Farber"
<[11]dave farber.net> as writing:
But the astonishing part is the justification for the US opposing the
meeting. According to the Post, Lois Boland, director of international
relations for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said "that open-source
software runs counter to the mission of WIPO, which is to promote
intellectual-property rights." As she is quoted as saying, "To hold a
meeting which has as its purpose to disclaim or waive such rights seems to
us to be contrary to the goals of WIPO."
If Lois Bola said this, then she should be asked to resign. The level of
ignorance built into that statement is astonishing, and the idea that a
government official of her level would be so ignorant is an embarrassment.
First, and most obviously, open-source software is based in
intellectual-property rights. It can't exist (and free software can't have
its effect) without it.
Nonsense!
It is proprietary software which can not exist without intellectual property
rights, it is, by definition, intellectual property.
The only use of intellectual property of importance to free software is to
prevent non-free derived versions. Without intellectual property and with a
legal right of access to source code, all software will be free software.
--
Member AFFS, WYLUG, SWP (UK), ANL, Leeds SA, Leeds Anti-war coalition
No to software patents! No to DRM/EUCD - hands off our computers!