Many governments are promoting the use of free and Open Source software, a move that stings the US pro-copyright lobby. In a recommendation to the US Trade Representative, lobbyists have now asked to put countries that promote Open Source software on a watchlist of capitalist enemies.
The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) is a coalition of many pro-copyright groups including the MPAA, RIAA and the Business Software Association. Its aim is to protect their businesses from threats to their copyright exploitation models, and to convince lawmakers to clamp down on piracy.
Every year the outfit produces a set of recommendations for the US Government. It produces a list of countries that are a threat, recommending the US Trade Representative to put these on a watchlist. Usually, this has something to do with weak copyright laws but this year they see a news threat in addition to that.
Open Source software.
In other words, Firefox, WordPress, Ubuntu and Open Office are the software equivalent of the axis of evil.
Countries such as Indonesia, Brazil and India should be placed on the watchlist for their Open Source support according to the International Intellectual Property Alliance. With similar initiatives countries such as the UK, The Netherlands and others may soon follow.
Open Source software “simply weakens the software industry and undermines its long-term competitiveness” while “it fails to build respect for intellectual property rights,” the IIPA recommendation says. “It encourages a mindset that does not give due consideration to the value to intellectual creations.”
Oh really?
What they really mean to say of course is that Open Software is saving the tax payers a lot of money, money that usually goes into the pockets of the some of the major software companies.
You can read more details on this absurd move at the excellent Guardian blog.
Article from: FreakBits