The Unique Identification Project spearheaded by former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani has been much touted as a major project that will aid the multiple welfare initiatives that are under the purview of the State. Understandably, this project would involve the use of software for maintaining, generating and disseminating databases of millions of people. The Free Software Movement of Karnataka addresses issues related to the project from the perspective of the Free Software Movement. Following is an editorial published in a newsletter of the FSMK.
"The idea of copyright itself needs to be critiqued because it obstructs the free flow and growth of knowledge. It is in opposition to copyright regimes that movements for free software (as opposed to proprietary software), for copyleft and creative commons licenses have grown. Playwrights and other theatrepersons need to study these options, so that corporations do not come in the way of the wide dissemination of their work".
Sudhanva Deshpande's presentation at the Second National Free Software Conference, Cochin
D. Balasubramanian does a review for Pragoti, of the Open source distribution of Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS) Linux, an GNU/Linux based operating system developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). An overview of the release of BOSS can be found here, an article written by Anand Parthasarathy in The Hindu
On the occasion of 'International Day against software patents', the Hindu had extensively covered the issues of software patents and software freedom. The two articles below highlight the issues around software patenting.
Courtesy: The Hindu
On the occasion of 'International Day against software patents' , the Hindu has extensively covered the issues of software patents and software freedom. There are two articles below - covering software freedom (a generic article on software freedom and another on the absence of foss in school curricula). Another two on software patenting will follow shortly.
Courtesy: The Hindu
The spread of the Linux operating system kernel has directed attention at the free software movement. This paper shows why free software, far from being a marginal participant in the commercial software market, is the vital first step in the withering away of the intellectual property system.
Two articles by Richard Stallman on Software Patents published in 2005 originally. Ed: We are carrying an abridged version, with references that are dated having been removed
Free software is the embodiment in the area of software of this fight against globalisation
Richard Stallman
RMS, as Richard Stallman is popularly known is an apostle of "free software". He spoke to Dr. Abhay Kumar on free software, copyright and the dangers of software patenting. Following is the full text of his interview.[The interview is dated and was done in 2005. Yet the contents are still relevant- Ed]