[A2k] Re: Bengalureans to come out with candles against monopolising knowledge

[Benjamin Henrion]

On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 9:55 PM, Anivar Aravind
<anivar.aravind@gmail.com> wrote:
> With Usual Apologies for Cross Posting
>
> Free Software User Group Bangalore is organising candle light vigil to
> say no to software patents on 23rd Saturday.
>
> Software patents are rejected by Indian Parliament in 2005 (Patent
> Amendment bill 2005). But Indian Government is now trying to push it
> through back door by bringing a Patent manual. Public consultations on
> this draft manual is going on in various metros in India. Bangalore
> Consultation is scheduled for the last week of August.
>
>  The Candle light vigil to "Say No To Software Patents" is a occasion
> to raise civil society voice against this back door trojan to Indian
> patent system. Software Patents kills innovation & competition.
> Patents turn software publishing into the privilege of a few. Software
> is a key technology that is important to every company, every public
> administration, and every household. Therefore, everything that makes
> the software industry ill has effects on the entire organism, on all
> aspects of the economy and society.
>
> More details here
> http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Say_No_To_Software_Patents#Candle_Light_Vigil

You need a better website then this simple mediawiki page.

And it is important to avoid the "Oh, it is only the free guys who
opposes this", and to create a ***coalition of small software
companies***.

It is important to have a platform where Indian Small Software
companies are organised around and can endorse a common statement.

Patent Litigation is just too expensive, broad and slow for the software sector.

But beware that you cannot win this fight if you do not create a
coalition with traditional proprietary companies.

I think there are enough proprietary companies in the Bangalore to
already form a coalition against software patents.

And beware that the Indian Patent Office is just copying the EPO "as
such/per se" trick.

--
Benjamin Henrion <bhenrion at ffii.org>
FFII Brussels - +32-484-566109 - +32-2-4148403