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Letter to European Commission Warns Against Open Source

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the set-phasers-to-fud dept.

An anonymous reader writes "TechWorld is reporting that they have a leaked copy of a letter written to the European Commission detailing the extent of lobby pressure coming from proprietary software groups working against open source software. From the article: 'Lueders sent the letter [PDF] on 10 October to leaders of the Commission's Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry, in response to an EC-commissioned study into the role of open source software in the European economy (referred to by Lueders as Free/Libre/Open Source, or FLOSS). In the letter, he criticised the study as biased and warns that its policy recommendations, if carried out, could derail the European software economy.'"

2 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Look at the funding by Karzz1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "...Microsoft-funded pressure group, the Initiative for Software Choice (ISC) warned of potentially dire effects if too much encouragement was given to open source software development."

    Say no more.

    --
    Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
  2. "IPR has evolved over centuries" by openright · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sure.

    1500's The Stationers had a publishing monopoly. ... for 130 years
    corruption and suppression occured ...
    1700's
    Start over with a 14+14 year copyright monopoly limit.
    1900's
    US copyright monopoly limit extended to 14+28 years.
    US copyright monopoly limit extended to 28+28 years.
    US copyright monopoly limit extended to Life+50/75 years.
    US copyright monopoly limit extended to life+70/120 years.

    The last time copyrighted material was released into the public domain was 1977. (non-renewed material - 1991)
    The next possible time for new material to enter the public domain is 2048.
    That is a huge period of information suppression.

    "Open Source"/"Creative commons" picks up where the "Public Domain" stopped.

    Other things to note:
      Source Software is near obsolete in 30 years, but still possibly useful.
      Binary Software is obsolete in 10 years.

    If the copyright monopoly limits were more aligned with innovation, perhaps Open source/Creative commons would not exist. (And neither would drm).