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Election 2006 (and beyond): Digital Copyright Canada

Free/Libre Software and Community Networking FORUM

Re: CSIS may target advocates of Free Software?

From: russell_-at-_flora.ottawa.on.ca (Russell McOrmond)
Date: 20 Jun 2000 08:38:33 -0400
References: <200006200331.XAA10479@onering.urth>

On Mon, 19 Jun 2000, Krishna E. Bera wrote:

> I'd like to interpret this to mean that proprietary information and
> technology *is* the threat to national security, but i suspect they
> are actually targetting opponents of proprietary information
> technology.

  My guess is that they mean what big-government has always meant: that
they will continue to use the power of the state to protect those who have
property from those who do not.  There isn't likely anything new here,
other than perhaps a growing group of citizens who do not see the
protection of property as the primary function of government.

  I don't think they are targeting Free Software people specifically, but
people who governments have deemed to be 'information pirates'.  Given the
changing nature of patents and copyright to further restrict information
distribution (*) this group of citizens who will be declared 'pirates' and
thus targeted by the state will be growing.


(*) There are new types of information being considered for patent
including the absurd allowance for patent of indigenous
knowledge/bio-piracy. We have longer length and more inclusive
interpretations of copyright to allow things previously not allowed for
with copyright.  We have the erosion of the right to reverse-engineer, the
erosion of fair-use principles, and so on.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://russell.flora.org/work/>
 http://www.flora.org/flora.announce/112 Commuter Challenge: We won!
 http://www.flora.org/flora.comnet-www/1657 I'm Smoke and Microsoft free.
 http://metallica.flora.org  I'm also Metallica free ;-)

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