Re: SPI statement on 24th September as a day against software patents?

Aigarius
http://www.aigarius.com/blog/2008/08/30/24th-september-as-a-day-against-software-patents-debian-support/
mentions "anti-software-patent activists are attempting a world-wide
event on the 24th of September as a world-wide day against software
patents" and asks "how about a personal word of support from the DPL
or support from the SPI? It is in direct area of interest for SPI -
software patents create an ever present threat of legal action against
any and all software in Debian (in USA and Japan, at least) and, as the
legal umbrella of Debian in the USA, SPI would be a prime target."

(Someone else might send a duplicate of this because I was prevented
from leaving a comment on the above URL by a buggy maths test.)

How about a statement?

Thanks,
--
MJ Ray (slef)
Webmaster for hire, statistician and online shop builder for a small
worker cooperative http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ http://mjr.towers.org.uk/
(Notice http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html) tel:+44-844-4437-237

On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 10:29:21AM +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
> How about a statement?

Care to write an initial draft? If a final draft is ready in time for a
reasonable on-list consensus of members to agree, plus a majority of board
members, we might be able to pass it as a resolution at the September 17 board meeting, then push it out to -announce.

- Jimmy Kaplowitz
jimmy(at)spi-inc(dot)org

You could decide via email before the board meeting, and be a little
more timely.

Do please tell me when you come to agreement, I have write permission
for the campaign site and will put it there.

Thanks

Bruce

Jimmy Kaplowitz wrote:
> On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 10:29:21AM +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
>
>> How about a statement?
>>
>
> Care to write an initial draft? If a final draft is ready in time for a
> reasonable on-list consensus of members to agree, plus a majority of board
> members, we might be able to pass it as a resolution at the September 17 board meeting, then push it out to -announce.
>
> - Jimmy Kaplowitz
> jimmy(at)spi-inc(dot)org
> _______________________________________________
> Spi-general mailing list
> Spi-general(at)lists(dot)spi-inc(dot)org
> http://lists.spi-inc.org/listinfo/spi-general
>

Jimmy Kaplowitz <jimmy(at)spi-inc(dot)org> wrote:
> On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 10:29:21AM +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
> > How about a statement?
>
> Care to write an initial draft? If a final draft is ready in time for a
> reasonable on-list consensus of members to agree, plus a majority of board
> members, we might be able to pass it as a resolution at the September 17 board meeting, then push it out to -announce.

Well, they don't seem to be asking for money, so there's not so much
possibility to do things. Here's an initial draft:-

SPI support for 24th September as a day against software patents

WHEREAS

1. we aim to aid, assist, cooperate, co-sponsor and otherwise engage
in concerted action with private, educational and governmental
organizations and associations on all issues and matters concerning
the use of computers and computer software and generally; [by-laws]

2. we are opposed to the existence of software patents and support the
work of the League for Programming Freedom; [1998-11-16.iwj.2]

3. a global coalition of more than 80 software companies, associations
and developers has declared the 24th of September to be the "World Day
Against Software Patents"; [http://stopsoftwarepatents.org]

SPI RESOLVES

1. to support the World Day Against Software Patents in general,
including signing the petition, issuing a news release and board
members making such comments to reporters as they feel appropriate;

2. to inform its members about opportunities to take part in events
against software patents around this time.

Hope that helps,
--
MJ Ray (slef)
Webmaster for hire, statistician and online shop builder for a small
worker cooperative http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ http://mjr.towers.org.uk/
(Notice http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html) tel:+44-844-4437-237

On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 02:06:19PM -0700, Bruce Perens wrote:
> You could decide via email before the board meeting, and be a little
> more timely.
>
> Do please tell me when you come to agreement, I have write permission
> for the campaign site and will put it there.

Unfortunately so much time elapsed between your mail and the meeting that I
didn't remember your offer until MJ Ray reminded me today. We did pass a
statement of support on the 17th:

http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2008/2008-09-17.html

(Minutes aren't prepared yet, but 2008-09-10.mjr.1 passed.) It's a bit late to
make a big PR push, but you can definitely add Software in the Public Interest
as a supporter of the event and the effort to eliminate software patents, as
well as add our name to the petition. I did try to sign the petition on the
website, but it doesn't seem to allow for corporate signatures.

- Jimmy Kaplowitz
jimmy(at)spi-inc(dot)org

OK, I noted this on the site. Thank you.

Bruce

Jimmy Kaplowitz wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 02:06:19PM -0700, Bruce Perens wrote:
>
>> You could decide via email before the board meeting, and be a little
>> more timely.
>>
>> Do please tell me when you come to agreement, I have write permission
>> for the campaign site and will put it there.
>>
>
> Unfortunately so much time elapsed between your mail and the meeting that I
> didn't remember your offer until MJ Ray reminded me today. We did pass a
> statement of support on the 17th:
>
> http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2008/2008-09-17.html
>
> (Minutes aren't prepared yet, but 2008-09-10.mjr.1 passed.) It's a bit late to
> make a big PR push, but you can definitely add Software in the Public Interest
> as a supporter of the event and the effort to eliminate software patents, as
> well as add our name to the petition. I did try to sign the petition on the
> website, but it doesn't seem to allow for corporate signatures.
>
> - Jimmy Kaplowitz
> jimmy(at)spi-inc(dot)org
>