Open source software anti-capitalism?
February 26, 2010 in News by Alastair Otter
Open source software is anti-capitalism and undermines intellectual property. It’s not a new claim against free and open source software, but now a new report suggests that a pro-proprietary lobby group has not only been pushing this line around the globe but is also looking to get pro-open source countries listed on the US’ Special 301 watchlist.
The Special 301 watchlist is a list of countries that don’t “adequately” conform to the USA’s definition of intellectual property protection. It’s a list that is most often used in pressuring countries to conform to US guidelines around pharmaceutical and counterfeiting. Essentially, it is a list of countries considered to be “anti-capitalism”.
According to a report by Andres Guadamuz, a lecturer in law at the University of Edinburgh, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), an umbrella group for organisations such as the MPAA and RIAA, has requested that the US Trade Representative list countries like Indonesia, Brazil and India on its Special 301 watchlist because they use open source software.
Read the full article at MyBroadband
