guardian: "When using open source makes you an enemy of the state"

[Kristian Rink]

MJ Ray schrieb:
> Maybe the ones who would make statements don't know what to do about
> the IIPA and things like this?

Well... though you may be right, I would be thoroughly surprised seeing 
a (large-scale, by now?) software company like RedHat _not_ aware of 
those institutions. I mean, talking about Germany, everyone (even the 
small IT companies) know about BITKOM or the BSA, despite eventually 
disagreeing with what they do...


> Maybe FSFE could encourage a new *liberal* creative industry
> association that mainly coordinates its members on things like this,
> without either trying to extract dues from its members or group them
> together into consortia?  I don't see any way for companies to join
> FSFE on the website at the moment.

Not sure whether "one" institution (FSF? FSFE? ...?) seems a good idea 
here; I'd rather see many small forces joined together in some sort of 
network. Germany, in example, has the BIKT[1] as an association which 
seems in competition with BITKOM while aiming at collecting SMEs and 
promoting their positions and views (i.e. talking about software 
patents). Is this the only example?

Best,
Kristian

[1]http://www.bikt.de/

-- 
Kristian Rink * http://pictorial.zimmer428.net # kawazu at jabber.org
"What was once thought can never be unthought."
(Duerrenmatt - 'Die Physiker')