Re: [Patents] DRM OS vs GPL OS

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

> > Given their present state
> > of mind, our political decision-makers are not likely to take any of
> > the necessary measures to safeguard free competition.
>
> precisely... and using the 'war on terrorism as an excuse' they have a
> means to do this... which i feel is an appalling hijacking of the loss
> of life to achieve their means...

I wouldn't expect any reference to the "war on terrorism" in this case.

It is enough if politicians stay clueless and stick to their habit of
delegating decision power to authoritarian structures of the business
world.

In order to limit the adverse effects of a DRM OS platform, fairly
complicated legislation would be needed.  But our politicians are even
finding it difficult to resist evidently idiotic legislation proposals
such as the CEC/BSA proposal for unlimited patentability, let alone come
up with brilliant new laws.

> my concern is that there may well be a move to make DRM OS's law...
> owning an non-DRM OS might be a criminal offence ? certainly the CDBTPA
> and possibly EUCD could pave the way toward this... the DMCA has already
> been shown to be contrary to the US First Amendment and Fair Use laws,
> but that didnt stop it happening....

Indeed it is enough to claim that "european practise on DRM is strongly
divergent and an obstacle to the internal market" in order to justify
whatever stupid law proposal the european Fritz Hollings lobby might feel
it needs.  The trouble is, they may don't even need any law.
"Public-private partnership" in pushing proprietary structures into the
public space is still very much in fashion and works quite informally.

-- 
Hartmut Pilch, FFII & Eurolinux Alliance              tel. +49-89-12789608
Protecting Innovation against Patent Inflation       http://swpat.ffii.org/
120,000 signatures against software patents      http://www.noepatents.org/