[Ubuntu-SG] Shoud we engage IPOS ? : Previously: Should we "Say No to Piracy"?

[Tom Goh]

suhaw koh wrote:
> Hi CDR,
>
> Like I mentioned in my email yesterday evening, I am agreeable to not
> joining HIP.  That was a good to have, but not essential.
>
> The reason why this whole debate started was because of the Schools
> Project.  If we want to go to any School, we will have to address a key
> concern of theirs, namely that our Project promotes lawfulness among the
> student participants.  We cannot hope to get any school to admit us if
> we are going to tell their students to ignore IP laws.

If I remember correctly, the school project was about promoting Ubuntu
and FOSS to the school and was about teaching how to do stuff in Linux.
 One of the items mentioned was about ripping DVDs/CDs and I pointed out
that we should not teach them how to rip music and DVDs as it would be
against the law.  But it still seemed that it was primarily about
teaching Linux.

>
> And a key to achieving that is to get IPOS on our side.  If we can get
> IPOS to give us their stamp of approval, the schools will not give us a
> hard time on this issue.
>
> Is there an alternative to IPOS ?  Yes, but not as desireable.  Find a
> qualified lawyer to join this project and overcome FUD on the part of
> school administrators and assure them that using Open Source software is
> not illegal.  Then get this lawyer to conduct a session to the students
> on what's legal and what's not.

I am not sure where you are getting the idea that people perceive FOSS
to be illegal.  My thoughts are people find it to be a geeky and tough
to use.  Sure there are law suits like SCO and FUD from Ballmer but I
don't think that would prevent someone from downloading and using it as
thousands of  people already use it in singapore.

>
> How is the IPOS option preferable ?  First, IPOS is much more
> authoritative than any lawyer on what is legal and what's not.  Schools
> can doubt a lawyer but not IPOS.  Second, it is IPOS objective and role
> to promote IP laws awareness anyway, so what we are asking them to do is
> very much in line with what they want to do anyway.
>
> I can understand why you may not want to join HIP because they are
> filled with Open Source-unfriendly organisations.  But do you have any
> objection to us engaging IPOS ?
>
> Cheers.
>
>
>
> suhaw
>
>
> 2009/6/24 C David Rigby <c.david.rigby at gmail.com
> <mailto:c.david.rigby at gmail.com>>
>
>     Hello All,
>
>     I've been watching this debate go by, and I am tempted to hide
behind my
>     expat status and say, "It's your country, your decision". However, I
>     never could resist a debate, regardless of the topic! (8-> So, without
>     recapping I will throw in my $0.02 and be done with it.
>
>     I concur with Tom, but I do not think that it matters. The issue
is not
>     that patent and copyright law, following US precedent, has
deviated from
>     its original intent of promoting innovation and become a tool for
>     protecting incumbent business interests. Clearly that is the case.
>     Rather, the immediate question is whether TUSG shold join the HIP
>     alliance.
>
>     I suggest not. While I agree that honoring IP laws is important,
>     promoting that particular agenda is "off-topic" for us. Our mission is
>     to promote FOSS in general and Ubuntu in particular. To the extent
that
>     we engage in educational activities, our focus should be on the
>     technical aspects, not the legal ones.
>
>     Admittedly, the boundaries between "technical" and "legal" are fuzzy.
>     However, any groups we join should promote a primary technical
>     orientation, not a legal one. The "Free and Open" of FOSS refers
to how
>     software is developed. That is a technique, not a legal principle,
>     though it engages legal and cultural principles.
>
>     Regards
>     CDR
>
>
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>
>
>
> --
> ________________________
> Koh Su Haw  许树浩
> http://suhaw.teresaville.org/
>