Peru Passes FOSS Law

[Fouad Riaz Bajwa]

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050926191316526

 

Peru has passed its law encouraging procurement of Free Software by the
government. Please note that the law is about Free Software, not Open
Source, as opposed to proprietary software, distinguished by license.

Here's an English translation published by the Asociación Peruana de
Software Libre, and here is the law itself [PDF]. Technically, it's not
official until it is published in the official Peruvian daily newspaper, but
that is pretty much certain at this point. Note that the version Slashdot
links to on OSI is not, I don't think, the final version. It's a useful
translation, but be aware that certain articles in that beta version are not
in the final version. 

 

The law defines free software and proprietary software by means of the
licenses, as per my own translation: 

 

        1. Free Software: is software whose license guarantees the

        following: unrestricted use of the program for your own use;

        unrestricted right to study the code and figure out how the

        program works; to make and distribute copies of the program; to

        modify the program and freely distribute the modifications under

        the same free conditions as the original program. 

        

        2. Proprietary software: is software whose license does not

        permit you to do any or all of the things listed in the above

        definition. 

        

 

As you can see from the flavor, so reminiscent of the freedoms guaranteed
under the GPL, the stress is on free as in freedom.

 

Here it is in Spanish, from the law: 

 

        Software libre: Es aquel cuya licencia de uso garantiza las

        facultades de: - Uso irrestricto del programa para cualquier

        propósito; - Inspección exhaustiva de los mecanismos de

        funcionamiento del programa; - Confección y distribucion de

        copias del programa; y, - Modificación del programa y

        distribución libre tanto de las alteraciones como del nuevo

        programa resultante, bajo estas mismas condiciones.

        

        2. Software propietario: Es aquel cuya licencia de uso no

        permite ninguna o alguna de las facultades previstas en la

        definición anterior.

        

 

And here is the translation from the Asociación Puruana de Software

Libre: 

 

        1. Free Software That which licence garantees the following

        things: - Unlimited use of the program for any purpose;

        Inspection of the working mechanisms of the program; Free

        distribution of copies of the software, Modification of the

        program and free distribution both in the new program, as on the

        old one, under the same conditions. 

        

        2. Propietary software. It is that which license does not permit

        all of any of the faculties defined above.

 

 

Regards.
---------------------------
Fouad Riaz Bajwa
General Secretary
FOSSFP: Free & Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan ®
FOSSAC ' 2006 Secretariat
Punjab University College of Information Technology
University of The Punjab, Allama Iqbal (Old) Campus
The Mall, Lahore-54000, Pakistan
Phone #: 92 (042) 111-923-923 Ext: 27

Cell #: 92-333-4661290
e-mail:  <mailto:bajwa at fossfp.org> bajwa at fossfp.org
Lahore-Pakistan.
URL:  <http://www.fossfp.org> www.fossfp.org

Ubuntu-Pakistan

URL:  <http://www.ubuntu-pk.org/> www.ubuntu-pk.org
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