Protect Your Freedom to Write Programs Join the League for Programming Freedom (Version of February 3, 1994)Ten years ago, programmers were allowed to write programs using allthe techniques they knew, and providing whatever features they feltwere useful. This is no longer the case. New monopolies, known assoftware patents and interface copyrights, have taken away our freedomof expression and our ability to do a good job."Look and feel" lawsuits attempt to monopolize well-known commandlanguages; some have succeeded. Copyrights on command languagesenforce gratuitous incompatibility, close opportunities forcompetition, and stifle incremental improvements.Software patents are even more dangerous; they make every designdecision in the development of a program carry a risk of a lawsuit,with draconian pretrial seizure. It is difficult and expensive tofind out whether the techniques you consider using are patented; it isimpossible to find out whether they will be patented in the future.The League for Programming Freedom is a grass-roots organization ofprofessors, students, businessmen, programmers and users dedicated tobringing back the freedom to write programs. The League is notopposed to the legal system that Congress expressly established forsoftware--copyright on individual programs. Our aim is to reverse therecent changes that prevent programmers from doing their work.The League works to abolish the new monopolies by publishing articles,talking with public officials, denouncing egregious offenders, andfiling amicus curiae briefs, most notably against Lotus in its suitagainst Borland. We testified twice at the recent Patent Officehearings on software patents. We welcome suggestions for otheractivities, as well as help in carrying them out.Membership dues in the League are $42 per year for programmers,managers and professionals; $10.50 for students; $21 for others.Please give more if you can. The League's funds will be used forfiling briefs; for printing handouts, buttons and signs; whatever willpersuade the courts, the legislators, and the people. You may not getanything personally for your dues--except for the freedom to writeprograms. The League is a non-profit corporation, but not considereda tax-exempt charity. However, for those self-employed in software,the dues can be a business expense.The League needs both activist members and members who only pay theirdues. We also greatly need additional corporate members; contact usfor information.If you have any questions, please write to the League, phone+1 617 621 7084, or send Internet mail to lpf@uunet.uu.net. Chris Hofstader, President Dean Anderson, Secretary Aubrey Jaffer, TreasurerChris Hofstader can be reached at (617) 492-0023; FAX (617) 497-1632.To join, please send a check and the following information to: League for Programming Freedom 1 Kendall Square #143 P.O.Box 9171 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139(Outside the US, please send a check in US dollars on a bank having a US correspondent bank, to save us check cashing fees.)Your name:The address for League mailings, a few each year; please indicatewhether it is your home address or your work address:The company you work for, and your position:Your phone numbers (home, work or both):Your email address, so we can contact you for demonstrations or forwriting letters. (If you don't want us to contact you for thesethings, please say so, but please give us your email address anywayso we can save paper and postage by sending you the newsletter by email.)Is there anything about you which would enable your endorsement of theLPF to impress the public? For example, if you are or have been aprofessor or an executive, or have written software that has a goodreputation, please tell us.Would you like to help with LPF activities?The corporate charter of the League for Programming Freedom states: The purpose of the corporation is to engage in the following activities: 1. To determine the existence of, and warn the public about restrictions and monopolies on classes of computer programs where such monopolies prevent or restrict the right to develop certain types of computer programs. 2. To develop countermeasures and initiatives, in the public interest, effective to block or otherwise prevent or restrain such monopolistic activities including education, research, publications, public assembly, legislative testimony, and intervention in court proceedings involving public interest issues (as a friend of the court). 3. To engage in any business or other activity in service of and related to the foregoing paragraphs that lawfully may be carried on by a corporation organized under Chapter 180 of the Massachusetts General Laws.The officers and directors of the League will be elected annually bythe members.