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author | Reiner Steib <Reiner.Steib@gmx.de> |
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date | Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:46:01 +0000 |
parents | 885f63d7c285 |
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rev | line source |
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25853 | 1 Protect Your Freedom to Write Programs |
2 Join the League for Programming Freedom | |
3 (Version of February 3, 1994) | |
4 | |
5 Ten years ago, programmers were allowed to write programs using all | |
6 the techniques they knew, and providing whatever features they felt | |
7 were useful. This is no longer the case. New monopolies, known as | |
8 software patents and interface copyrights, have taken away our freedom | |
9 of expression and our ability to do a good job. | |
10 | |
11 "Look and feel" lawsuits attempt to monopolize well-known command | |
12 languages; some have succeeded. Copyrights on command languages | |
13 enforce gratuitous incompatibility, close opportunities for | |
14 competition, and stifle incremental improvements. | |
15 | |
16 Software patents are even more dangerous; they make every design | |
17 decision in the development of a program carry a risk of a lawsuit, | |
18 with draconian pretrial seizure. It is difficult and expensive to | |
19 find out whether the techniques you consider using are patented; it is | |
20 impossible to find out whether they will be patented in the future. | |
21 | |
22 The League for Programming Freedom is a grass-roots organization of | |
23 professors, students, businessmen, programmers and users dedicated to | |
24 bringing back the freedom to write programs. The League is not | |
25 opposed to the legal system that Congress expressly established for | |
26 software--copyright on individual programs. Our aim is to reverse the | |
27 recent changes that prevent programmers from doing their work. | |
28 | |
29 The League works to abolish the new monopolies by publishing articles, | |
30 talking with public officials, denouncing egregious offenders, and | |
31 filing amicus curiae briefs, most notably against Lotus in its suit | |
32 against Borland. We testified twice at the recent Patent Office | |
33 hearings on software patents. We welcome suggestions for other | |
34 activities, as well as help in carrying them out. | |
35 | |
36 | |
50442
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
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37 (Added 2003) The League for Programming Freedom is inactive nowadays, |
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
|
38 though its web site www.programming-freedom.org is still maintained. |
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
|
39 It would be very useful to find a person who could take the initiative |
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
|
40 to get the LPF operating again. It will be a substantial job, |
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
|
41 requiring persistence and working with a lawyer. If you want to do |
885f63d7c285
Don't ask people to join the LPF. Ask for a volunteer to reactivate it.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
49600
diff
changeset
|
42 it, please write to rms@gnu.org. |
25853 | 43 |