[Fsfe-ie] IFSO Wiki updates

[IfsoWiki at ifso.ie]

 * MalcolmTyrrell SoftwarePatents/DraftPressReleaseThu, 30 Jun 2005 07:00:02 -0000 
     * I tend to be brutally honest, I really should have mentioned that. -- Colm MacCarthaigh (colm at stdlib.net)
            * Nowt wrong with that. I suggest people look over something like http://toolkit.prnewswire.com/PRNewswireEurope/writingtips.shtml
               * "[Your press release] should be objectively written as though a reporter were writing the story for you." or as though you were writing it for them!
    +       * Your comments are appreciated, Colm. We're new to this sort of thing and are still feeling our way. - MalcolmTyrrell.
       * Oh, I left something out. Convention holds that you CAPITALISE THE TITLE of a press-release. Though increasingly this is becoming optional, capitalising the title makes you look like you know what you're at :) -- CMC [Capitalised...] URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/SoftwarePatents/DraftPressRelease?action=diff
 * 193.120.144.172 McWeeney/ProsAndCons;Thu, 30 Jun 2005 07:00:02 -0000 
     '''IMHO''' the best starting position would be Beatrix but I'm open to all opinions.  This could be changed by my wishlist.  AtMission is new.  Release cycles are thick and fast for DSL and Slax, and as you know, 6monthly for Gnome and Hoary.
      
    - == Wishlist ==
    + == Gnoppix, Gnome LiveCD and Hoary Hedgehog (aka Wishlist Updated) ==
      
    - If someone can get me one of these ASAP, I'd love to evaluate.
    + Thanks Malcolm for getting me these.  Here's the update:
    + I've evaluated the "Gnome LiveCD" which seems identical to "Gnoppix 1.0", even down to the fact that both were used as the GUADEC 2005 promo CDs.  Oh! -and they're both Hoary updated to Gnome 10/11ish.
    + 
    + Two problems
    + 
    + I've killed hours on looking for a live-cd installer for it.  I'm looking possibly at remastering with a reworked Beatrix installer to get around this, unless I see an update soon on the Gnome or Gnoppix site.  I would have thought that *ix-installer from any of the *ix-LiveCDs would be ok, but if that was the case, then why didn't they do this for Guadec.  Sounds like I'm missing out on something critical here.  I've seen as well postings about this in a few places, and THINK I recall seeing that the next Gnoppix will have one.
    + 
    + The second problem is a little worse.  Some Hoary's don't boot up on a PC with an unconnected network card, and there isn't a cheatcode I can find to turn that off.  Again, same behaviour on all the Hoarys I've tried.
    + 
    + Not a problem, just a bananaskin... if we were to use one of these, XScreensaver would need to be configured to point at images that are actually on the CD.  At the moment they point at Guadec images, so if we were to replace with our own content, that would need to be tweaked on the 'Advanced Settings' of XScreensaver.
    + 
    + Other than that IMHO these are all suitable.  Any views on Beatrix... the other wildcard for me is 'slax' which seems very stable, and expandable with UnionFS.  Must check gsb.sourceforge.net and droplines for compatability with both _my_ slax, and _our_ ethics but I think all is in order. More as it happens.
      
    ... URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/McWeeney/ProsAndCons%3b?action=diff
 * DavidOcallaghan SoftwarePatentsThu, 30 Jun 2005 07:00:02 -0000 
     * '''Around 2000 SMEs have software patents in Europe.''' This may be an overestimate (including non-SMEs and non-European SMEs). This is just 0.008% of the 25.3 million SMEs in Europe (See ''EC'' below) or 0.018% of the 11 million that are members of [http://www.ueapme.com UEAPME].
       * '''Around 20% of software patents in Europe are owned by SMEs.''' SMEs are responsible for half of Europe's turnover and employ more than 53 percent of Europe's workforce, according to ''EC''.
       * ''EC'': http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/craft/.
    - 
    +  * FFII page on the BSA - FFII:SwpatbsaEn
      Ifso in the press
       * [http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9411102 Developing ideas in a cave] Ciaran extensively quoted by electric news URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/SoftwarePatents?action=diff
 * DavidOcallaghan SoftwarePatents/DraftPressReleaseForkThu, 30 Jun 2005 07:00:02 -0000 
     incorporated Justin's comments, slightly modified 
    
    
      
      = SOFTWARE PATENTS BAD NEWS FOR SMES =
      
    - The proposed European Directive on Computer-Implemented Inventions (the "Software Patents" directive) is bad news for SMEs, according to the Irish Free Software Organisation (IFSO). "It will allow large software companies, mostly from outside the EU, to monopolise the software market in Europe and make life very difficult for the vast majority of indigenous software developers working in small businesses or as individuals," said Glenn Strong, chairman of IFSO.
    + The proposed European Directive on Computer-Implemented Inventions (the "Software Patents" directive) is bad news for SMEs, according to the Irish Free Software Organisation (IFSO). "It will allow large software companies, mostly from outside the EU, to monopolise the software market in Europe and endanger the jobs of the vast majority of indigenous software developers working in small businesses or as individuals," said Glenn Strong, chairman of IFSO.
      
      This view is shared by the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME), which represents 11 million companies employing over 50 million people in Europe.[[FootNote(Source: http://www.ueapme.com/docs/press_releases/pr_2005/050621_Computer_Patent.pdf)]]
      
    - Strong continued, "Software patents would expose all software companies to an increased risk of litigation. For an SME, the costs of defending an alleged case of patent infringement or seeking to have a wrongly-granted patent overturned would be prohibitive. Large companies, on the other hand, can afford to defend and pursue litigation and will have much larger patent portfolios at their disposal. It will be all too easy for them to use software patents to stifle competition."
    + Strong continued, "Software patents would expose all software companies to an increased risk of litigation. For an SME, the costs of defending an alleged case of patent infringement or seeking to have a wrongly-granted patent overturned would be prohibitive. Large companies, on the other hand, can afford to defend and pursue litigation and will have much larger patent portfolios at their disposal. It will be all too easy for them to use software patents to demand license fees from European SMEs and to stifle competition."
      
    - Software is already protected by copyright law, which is granted at no cost and outlives patent terms. "Copyright gives developers suitable protection for their work," said Strong, "whereas patents prevent others from developing competing products. We already know that the software market is particularly conducive to monopolies; patents will only make the problem worse."
    + Software is already protected by copyright law, which is granted at no cost and outlives patent terms. "Copyright gives developers suitable protection for their work," said Strong, "whereas patents, which monopolise ideas, prevent others from developing competing products. We already know that the software market is particularly conducive to monopolies; patents will only make the problem worse."
      
    - There are 43,000 software patents that have already been granted by the European Patent Office, the majority of which are held by non-European companies. The patents are currently unenforceable, and have yet to have any effect. However, the directive, as it stands, will legitimise the patents. "The nature of software development is such that it is likely that almost every complex piece of software infringes one or more of those 43,000 patents," said Strong.
    + There are 43,000 software patents that have already been granted by the European Patent Office, nearly three-quarters of which are held by non-European companies. The patents are currently unenforceable, and have yet to have any effect. However, the directive, as it stands, will legitimise the patents. "The nature of software development is such that it is likely that almost every complex piece of software infringes one or more of those 43,000 patents," said Strong.
      
    - The directive is also bad news for developers and users of Free Software (sometimes called "open source software"), which includes the software running thousands of web servers, email servers and other vital services. "As Free Software solutions are increasingly outperforming proprietary solutions, we can expect some companies to use patent law to hamper competition from Free Software," said Strong. "The very freedoms guaranteed by Free Software make it incompatible with patent licenses. If this directive is passed unamended, the livelihoods of many European developers and users of Free Software will be at risk."
    + The directive is also bad news for developers and users of Free Software (sometimes called "open source software"), which includes the software running thousands of web servers, email servers and other vital services. "As Free Software solutions are increasingly outperforming proprietary solutions, we can expect some companies to use patent law to hamper competition from Free Software," said Strong. "The freedoms guaranteed by Free Software make it incompatible with patent licenses. If this directive is passed unamended, the livelihoods of many European developers and users of Free Software will be at risk."
      
    ... URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/SoftwarePatents/DraftPressReleaseFork?action=diff