(meeting tonight, 2000h, Benshaws pub, the usual http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/images/benshaws.png)
It seems that it would be useful for IFSO to create a listing of companies that support our work.
I don't mean "companies that support Free Software". I mean "companies that support our actions, for whatever reason".
So I suggest we draw up a set of principles for IFSO. I'm not suggesting we add this to the charter, but it could be a useful working group or project.
This requires that we draw up a set of principles that benefit Free Software as well as the software industry in general. I am not willing to compromise the former for the latter, but I don't think it's necessary to do so anyway.
Off the top of my head: 1. Monopolys should not be supported by law 2. Open standards should guide public administration 3. The law should not block competition in software 4. Software should not block acts permitted by law 5. The law should not prevent a software package being released as Free Software 6. The development of useful software shall not be illegal 7. etc.
(1=no patents, 2=no proprietary file formats, 3=no DRM/prevention of interoperability, 4=fair dealing, 5=no "Trusted Computing", etc.)
(Of course, this all needs to be reworded etc. and a preamble should be written to explain the need for competition, interoperability, etc.)
I propose gathering a list of companies (using the list of directories James Heald posted yesterday as a starting point). We could then contact these companies and see how many we can get to sign up to our "Business Freedom" project (or whatever it's called).
I'll probably start making the list of companies tomorrow, but first I wanted to discuss it on the list and at the meeting. So, what do people think?
From: "Ciaran O'Riordan" ciaran@member.fsf.org
I propose gathering a list of companies (using the list of directories James Heald posted yesterday as a starting point). We could then contact these companies and see how many we can get to sign up to our "Business Freedom" project (or whatever it's called).
Any thoughts on the suggestion of sending out a semi-academic software patents questionnaire, as per the second half of that email ?
James Heald j.heald@ucl.ac.uk writes:
From: "Ciaran O'Riordan" ciaran@member.fsf.org
I propose gathering a list of companies (using the list of directories James Heald posted yesterday as a starting point). We could then contact these companies and see how many we can get to sign up to our "Business Freedom" project (or whatever it's called).
Any thoughts on the suggestion of sending out a semi-academic software patents questionnaire, as per the second half of that email ?
Yes, it's a good idea. We should definitely send out something, possibly a questionaire.
Teresa Hackett (working on the IPR Enforcement Directive) is also looking for a list of companies that we can gather support from.
So lets split the work rather than duplicating it.
A possible implementation would be:
Draw up Preamble, Principles, and Current Projects. Ask companies for their approval of our work for a 12 month period. At the end of this period, we'd summarise our work and produce an updated Current Projects notice, and ask companies if they will continue supporting out work for an additional 12 month period.
This would give us business support without us having to ask for signatures every time we write a new letter.
I don't know. I haven't ironned it out fully, but with limited resources, I want to figure out the most efficient way to work this.
This would be similar to software-using companies forming a union. They don't have to agree 100% with everything, but solidarity would be beneficial to all.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ciaran O'Riordan" ciaran@member.fsf.org To: fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 11:51 AM Subject: Re: [Fsfe-ie] topic for tonights meeting: companies supporting IFSO (Business Freedom)
James Heald j.heald@ucl.ac.uk writes:
From: "Ciaran O'Riordan" ciaran@member.fsf.org
I propose gathering a list of companies (using the list of directories James Heald posted yesterday as a starting point). We could then contact these companies and see how many we can get to sign up to our "Business Freedom" project (or whatever it's called).
Any thoughts on the suggestion of sending out a semi-academic software patents questionnaire, as per the second half of that email ?
Yes, it's a good idea. We should definitely send out something, possibly a questionaire.
Teresa Hackett (working on the IPR Enforcement Directive) is also looking for a list of companies that we can gather support from.
So lets split the work rather than duplicating it.
A possible implementation would be:
Draw up Preamble, Principles, and Current Projects. Ask companies for their approval of our work for a 12 month period. At the end of this period, we'd summarise our work and produce an updated Current Projects notice, and ask companies if they will continue supporting out work for an additional 12 month period.
This would give us business support without us having to ask for signatures every time we write a new letter.
I don't know. I haven't ironned it out fully, but with limited resources, I want to figure out the most efficient way to work this.
This would be similar to software-using companies forming a union. They don't have to agree 100% with everything, but solidarity would be beneficial to all.
To maximise the number of returns coming back (in order to make the results as powerful as possible), the swpat questionnaire should be just that, and not attached to a plea for support or anything else.
Probably it would be useful if it originated from its own domain, eg swpat-survey-2004.ie not IFSO.