Category
Copying is not theft video
Brilliant YouTube video – Copying Is Not Theft. BTW I support sensible copyright law and rely on it to protect the open source software I release.
ACTA and FTA unrelated – Yeah Right
The ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) and Free Trade Agreement negotiations are apparently not linked (ACTA not linked to free-trade agreement, say officials). We should be highly sceptical of this claim and pay very close attention to the precise words used by the officials making this denial. Remember how Clinton did not have “sex” “with” “that [...]
Please sign the Wellington Declaration petition
Here is the email I sent to some friends, family, and colleagues recently: Hi, Sorry to email you out of the blue like this but I thought the Wellington Declaration might be of interest to you. It is also very important and won’t take a moment. Here is the petition: http://www.gopetition.com/online/35443.html Here is the declaration: [...]
Software patents are a proven bad idea
Software patents are a proven bad idea. Yes, you read that correctly – a “proven” bad idea. There is no need to speculate or philosophise. A brief look at history will suffice. The software industry experienced decades of innovation before software patents existed and we have had decades to observe their impact since they were [...]
ACTA Submission to Ministry of Economic Development
Here is the text of my submission to the Ministry of Economic Development: Excessive enforcement of “rights” will hinder innovation – PSAL believes that overly zealous enforcement of intellectual property “rights” could have a chilling effect on innovation. As a society, we will gain more if we let new technologies develop on a loose leash. [...]
Software patents protect innovation? I’ve a bridge for sale
The former President and CEO of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, has written an interesting piece on patent racketeering Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal. The comments are well worth a read as well. If you think software patents encourage innovation (overall) then I have a bridge to sell you. Software patents are not only wrong, [...]
Entertaining and important video on copyright
Anyone who cares about creativity, copyright, and artistic freedom should check out this entertaining and important video: http://www.vimeo.com/7675598 “© kiwiright” is a 12 minute documentary about how copyright laws have been contorted to bene?t the ?nancial needs of corporate rights holders and no longer bene?ts the public nor the artists who create the work itself. [...]
Open Government Data Project
This project seems to be something to watch. http://blogs.pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/tux-love/2009/06/the_open_data_catalogue.html http://opengovt.org.nz/
Support Creative Freedom and Better Copyright Law
The creative freedom initiative is well worth supporting. Here is a summary and a link: As the natural world meets the digital opportunities are opening up for artists to connect with new audiences across the world. However, with the digitisation of media the lines between use and copy have become blurred. Laws regulating the act [...]
Copyright Act – Who Will Defend the Public Interest?
When it comes to copyright law, there are plenty of paid lobbyists etc who will defend the right of IP owners. But who can be trusted to defend the public interest? Grave concerns have been raised about this issue in http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2008/copyright-act-simply-wrong http://it.gen.nz/2008/10/07/ministers-why-we-changed-the-copyright-act/#more-250 http://www.blakjak.net/node/1077 http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29834002818 Quoting from the latter: This is an election year, and if [...]