Grant Paton-Simpson pointed me to an article in Computerworld that begins with the encouraging words:
The UK's Tories could order the wholesale introduction of open source IT systems if they are returned to office at the next election.
Further on the article notes:
Thompson's report said savings "would come not just from reduced licensing costs, but importantly by freeing government bodies from long-term, monopoly supply situations."
New Zealand copyright law changes shortsighted says head of Open Source Society
26 January 2009
The New Zealand Open Source Society (NZOSS) believes the upcoming changes to New Zealand copyright law are shortsighted.
“Copyright law underpins all free and open source software (FOSS) licenses” says Society President Don Christie. “It is an enormously important area of law for the FOSS community the Society was established to represent.”
It has been a long held dream to have a second LCA in New Zealand, preferably in my home city, Wellington.
I wrote about this in my newsletter of early 2008.
Let's imagine:
"Rumour has it that this morning's power cut across Wellington was caused be an ARPA notice being issued to the local power supplier. This in response to claims of excessive file sharing and pirating in the Wellington region.
Apparently it was more convenient for ARPA to issue a notice to a single power supplier than have to deal with multiple ISPs. The way the Copyright Act is written the definition of an ISP, hence the notice being issued to Transpower - who provide a key component of internet hosting, electricity.
The New Zealand Computer Society is claiming that the recent legislation that will allow alleged copyright holders to cut off the Internet connections of New Zealand citizens is illogical and ethically flawed. The NZCS says that "Section 92a, championed by previous Associate Arts Minister Hon Judith Tizard, states that Internet Service Providers must look to disconnecting the Internet service of those that have been repeatedly accused of accessing copyrighted material online." The legislation has no requirements for the accusers to furnish evidence of infringement and there are no legal penalties for making false accusations.
