Re: [Patents] Re: [hangout] *ASTOUNDING* Statement by Peruvian Congressman on Free Software in the Government

[Alexandre Courbot <alexandrecourbot@linuxgames.com>]

> > That is exciting news.  When it happens, let's be sure to announce it.
> > Please tell bkuhn as soon as you know for certain.
> 
> My understanding is that they will have a vote on this law in June, which 
> I believe is a "committee vote" and that at that time it will be 
> introduced to the full legislature for consideration.  This would also 
> explain why they wish to have people speak about it and free software to 
> the Peru assembly as a whole.  I do not know their law making process or 
> if they have, for example, an executive branch with veto power.  It would 
> be helpful to know these things.
> 
> If I do this, I will be going as a "Free Software Professional" and will
> have to make sure they are very clear that I am neither representing the
> GNU project as a whole nor the FSF in any capacity.

The more I think about it, the more is seems clear to me that this
document should be diffused the most possible. Especially to governments
of so said "more developped" countries, like European ones who are
likely to bring the software patents question back for discussion very
soon, once all elections are over.

In the French Linux community, the reactions to this news have been very
positive, and most of them are like "we have to make our government know
about this - they have to take lessons from Peruvians!" and I guess it's
the same in every country threaten by DMCA-like laws. Such an adoption
for free software in the core of the country definitely annihilate the
danger of these liberticid laws.

The fact is, that this letter is most likely to be heard by politics, as
it is written by one of them, and I can't think of a better free
software advocacy in that respect. This is a very good occasion to be
heard.

Alex.
-- 
http://www.gnurou.org