About 2 1/2 years ago, I suggested to my local Congressperson that the Federal Gov't adopt StarOffice free software - the savings would be enormous. She said she would pass it along to the GSA, which oversees such purchasing. I hoped for a suggestion award, considering how much this would save the gov't. Haven't received any money yet.
This also undercuts the sales of MonSter software so may have more effect than the anti-trust lawsuit.
Office Suite software has too many bells and whistles on it anyway. So getting a basic application is just fine with this retired bureaucrat who still pays taxes.
I sent the 'Hacking Treaty' article to Sens. Feinstein and Boxer of California. Feinstein is up for re-election this year and should jump on this right away, especially if the computer community makes enough noise.
As to the treaty itself, the US Constitution, Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power to pass copyright and patent laws to promote Science and the Useful Arts. There is no right to pass a law prohibiting scientific progress. Treaties are an interesting exception under constitutional law, but I don't think that this treaty would normally meet the test. (The present Supreme Court is so Luddite and reactionary that I wouldn't count on them for help.) We can always hope that the Bill of Rights can be invoked - Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press.
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About 2 1/2 years ago, I suggested to my local Congressperson that the Federal Gov't adopt StarOffice free software - the savings would be enormous. She said she would pass it along to the GSA, which oversees such purchasing. I hoped for a suggestion award, considering how much this would save the gov't. Haven't received any money yet. This also undercuts the sales of MonSter software so may have more effect than the anti-trust lawsuit. Office Suite software has too many bells and whistles on it anyway. So getting a basic application is just fine with this retired bureaucrat who still pays taxes.
I sent the 'Hacking Treaty' article to Sens. Feinstein and Boxer of California. Feinstein is up for re-election this year and should jump on this right away, especially if the computer community makes enough noise. As to the treaty itself, the US Constitution, Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power to pass copyright and patent laws to promote Science and the Useful Arts. There is no right to pass a law prohibiting scientific progress. Treaties are an interesting exception under constitutional law, but I don't think that this treaty would normally meet the test. (The present Supreme Court is so Luddite and reactionary that I wouldn't count on them for help.) We can always hope that the Bill of Rights can be invoked - Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press.