MESSAGE
DATE | 2019-07-30 |
FROM | From: "Greg Farough, FSF"
|
SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Strengthen free software by telling the US
|
From hangout-bounces-at-nylxs.com Tue Jul 30 18:37:33 2019 Return-Path: X-Original-To: archive-at-mrbrklyn.com Delivered-To: archive-at-mrbrklyn.com Received: from www2.mrbrklyn.com (www2.mrbrklyn.com [96.57.23.82]) by mrbrklyn.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 07FE116113A; Tue, 30 Jul 2019 18:37:27 -0400 (EDT) X-Original-To: hangout-at-www2.mrbrklyn.com Delivered-To: hangout-at-www2.mrbrklyn.com Received: by mrbrklyn.com (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 934A4161134; Tue, 30 Jul 2019 18:37:22 -0400 (EDT) Resent-From: Ruben Safir Resent-Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 18:37:22 -0400 Resent-Message-ID: <20190730223722.GA978-at-www2.mrbrklyn.com> Resent-To: hangout-at-mrbrklyn.com X-Original-To: ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com Delivered-To: ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com Received: from eggs.gnu.org (eggs.gnu.org [209.51.188.92]) by mrbrklyn.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0E352161132 for ; Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:52:50 -0400 (EDT) Received: from crmserver2p.fsf.org ([2001:470:142:5::223]:47714) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1hsa38-0007Pk-68 for ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com; Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:52:50 -0400 Received: from localhost ([::1]:53798 helo=my.fsf.org) by crmserver2p.fsf.org with esmtp (Exim 4.86_2) (envelope-from ) id 1hsa38-0006nR-18 for ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com; Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:52:50 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 From: "Greg Farough, FSF" job_id: 158991 To: Ruben Safir Precedence: bulk X-CiviMail-Bounce: crmmailer+b.158991.44245038.021bbc1f9160132a-at-fsf.org Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:52:50 -0400 Message-Id: X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Strengthen free software by telling the US Congress to reject the STRONGER Patents Act X-BeenThere: hangout-at-nylxs.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.17 Reply-To: "Greg Farough, FSF" List-Id: NYLXS Tech Talk and Politics List-Unsubscribe: , List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="===============2084805633==" Errors-To: hangout-bounces-at-nylxs.com Sender: "Hangout"
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*Please consider adding to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box!*
*Read and share online: *
Dear Ruben Safir,
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has long been opposed to the ways in which US and international patent law have been misused to allow for so-called ["software patents."][1] As these patents are not held over a particular piece of software, but rather any principle that can be used in its design, it is more accurate to describe them as software *idea* patents. Software idea patents are a grave threat to free software developers because they severely limit the scope of what they can or cannot implement, and also expose them to legal harassment from any group that has enough resources to enforce their unjust claim over a programming idea. Litigation on a software idea patent can spell financial ruin for developers and an abrupt end to any free software project. An upcoming bill in Congress would leave the free software community much more open to these kinds of attacks.
[1]:https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/software-patents.en.html
Despite its failure to pass in 2017, a bill with the appropriately Orwellian title of "Support Technology and Research of Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience" (STRONGER) Patents Act was reintroduced into Congress on July 10th, 2019. If passed, the Act would make software idea patents much more easily claimed and enforceable against developers in the free software community. Whatever its effects on other types of patents may be, the fact that it will prop up software idea patents is reason enough to reject it. As we have seen before, it is an attempt to [patch a broken system][2]. The proposed bill never bothers to question the validity of these patents as a category. To protect our community, it is our duty to inform Congress and legislators that the only remedy for the problem posed by software idea patents is to dismantle them entirely.
[2]:https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/the-shield-act-fails-to-protect-free-software-from-patents
The FSF urges all of its supporters in the United States to contact their local congresspeople and advise them to vote against the STRONGER Patents Act. No matter where you are in the world, please stand firm in campaigning for the right of free software users and programmers to use, copy, and develop tools for user and community empowerment.
### Take action!
*If you're not in the US, let us know your country by [updating your profile][3] so we can send you more relevant info. In the meantime, please also help us spread the word to your contacts in the US.*
[3]:https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?gid=34&reset=1
Nervous? Try using the following script:
>Hello,
>I live in CITY/STATE. I am calling to urge you to vote against >the "STRONGER" Patents Act, and protect programmers and developers >from the threat of software idea patents. Thank you for your time.
**Don't know who to call?**
* To call your congressperson directly, dial (202) 224-3121 and the switchboard will connect you.
* Alternatively, you can find contact information for both your local senator and House representative online in the [Senate][4] and [House][5] directories.
[4]:https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm [5]:https://www.house.gov/representatives
In solidarity,
Greg Farough Campaigns Manager
-- * Follow us on GNU social at , on Diaspora at , and on Twitter at . * Read about why we use Twitter, but only with caveats at . * Subscribe to our RSS feeds at . * Join us as an associate member at . * Read our Privacy Policy at .
Sent from the Free Software Foundation,
51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335 United States
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting
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To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design, and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, visit
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Please consider adding info@fsf.org to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box!
Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/strengthen-free-software-by-telling-congress-to-reject-the-stronger-patents-act
Dear Ruben Safir,
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has long been opposed to the ways in which US and international patent law have been misused to allow for so-called "software patents." As these patents are not held over a particular piece of software, but rather any principle that can be used in its design, it is more accurate to describe them as software idea patents. Software idea patents are a grave threat to free software developers because they severely limit the scope of what they can or cannot implement, and also expose them to legal harassment from any group that has enough resources to enforce their unjust claim over a programming idea. Litigation on a software idea patent can spell financial ruin for developers and an abrupt end to any free software project. An upcoming bill in Congress would leave the free software community much more open to these kinds of attacks.
Despite its failure to pass in 2017, a bill with the appropriately Orwellian title of "Support Technology and Research of Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience" (STRONGER) Patents Act was reintroduced into Congress on July 10th, 2019. If passed, the Act would make software idea patents much more easily claimed and enforceable against developers in the free software community. Whatever its effects on other types of patents may be, the fact that it will prop up software idea patents is reason enough to reject it. As we have seen before, it is an attempt to patch a broken system. The proposed bill never bothers to question the validity of these patents as a category. To protect our community, it is our duty to inform Congress and legislators that the only remedy for the problem posed by software idea patents is to dismantle them entirely.
The FSF urges all of its supporters in the United States to contact their local congresspeople and advise them to vote against the STRONGER Patents Act. No matter where you are in the world, please stand firm in campaigning for the right of free software users and programmers to use, copy, and develop tools for user and community empowerment.
Take action!
If you're not in the US, let us know your country by updating your profile so we can send you more relevant info. In the meantime, please also help us spread the word to your contacts in the US.
Nervous? Try using the following script:
Hello,
I live in CITY/STATE. I am calling to urge you to vote against the "STRONGER" Patents Act, and protect programmers and developers from the threat of software idea patents. Thank you for your time.
Don't know who to call?
To call your congressperson directly, dial (202) 224-3121 and the switchboard will connect you.
Alternatively, you can find contact information for both your local senator and House representative online in the Senate and House directories.
In solidarity,
Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager |
| |
|
|
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_______________________________________________ Hangout mailing list Hangout-at-nylxs.com http://lists.mrbrklyn.com/mailman/listinfo/hangout
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--=_8623b6a387b54f5e8222441998efbe97 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
*Please consider adding to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box!*
*Read and share online: *
Dear Ruben Safir,
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has long been opposed to the ways in which US and international patent law have been misused to allow for so-called ["software patents."][1] As these patents are not held over a particular piece of software, but rather any principle that can be used in its design, it is more accurate to describe them as software *idea* patents. Software idea patents are a grave threat to free software developers because they severely limit the scope of what they can or cannot implement, and also expose them to legal harassment from any group that has enough resources to enforce their unjust claim over a programming idea. Litigation on a software idea patent can spell financial ruin for developers and an abrupt end to any free software project. An upcoming bill in Congress would leave the free software community much more open to these kinds of attacks.
[1]:https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/software-patents.en.html
Despite its failure to pass in 2017, a bill with the appropriately Orwellian title of "Support Technology and Research of Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience" (STRONGER) Patents Act was reintroduced into Congress on July 10th, 2019. If passed, the Act would make software idea patents much more easily claimed and enforceable against developers in the free software community. Whatever its effects on other types of patents may be, the fact that it will prop up software idea patents is reason enough to reject it. As we have seen before, it is an attempt to [patch a broken system][2]. The proposed bill never bothers to question the validity of these patents as a category. To protect our community, it is our duty to inform Congress and legislators that the only remedy for the problem posed by software idea patents is to dismantle them entirely.
[2]:https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/the-shield-act-fails-to-protect-free-software-from-patents
The FSF urges all of its supporters in the United States to contact their local congresspeople and advise them to vote against the STRONGER Patents Act. No matter where you are in the world, please stand firm in campaigning for the right of free software users and programmers to use, copy, and develop tools for user and community empowerment.
### Take action!
*If you're not in the US, let us know your country by [updating your profile][3] so we can send you more relevant info. In the meantime, please also help us spread the word to your contacts in the US.*
[3]:https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?gid=34&reset=1
Nervous? Try using the following script:
>Hello,
>I live in CITY/STATE. I am calling to urge you to vote against >the "STRONGER" Patents Act, and protect programmers and developers >from the threat of software idea patents. Thank you for your time.
**Don't know who to call?**
* To call your congressperson directly, dial (202) 224-3121 and the switchboard will connect you.
* Alternatively, you can find contact information for both your local senator and House representative online in the [Senate][4] and [House][5] directories.
[4]:https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm [5]:https://www.house.gov/representatives
In solidarity,
Greg Farough Campaigns Manager
-- * Follow us on GNU social at , on Diaspora at , and on Twitter at . * Read about why we use Twitter, but only with caveats at . * Subscribe to our RSS feeds at . * Join us as an associate member at . * Read our Privacy Policy at .
Sent from the Free Software Foundation,
51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335 United States
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting
https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=158991&qid=44245038&h=021bbc1f9160132a.
To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design, and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, visit
https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=158991&qid=44245038&h=021bbc1f9160132a. --=_8623b6a387b54f5e8222441998efbe97 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
|
Please consider adding info@fsf.org to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box!
Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/strengthen-free-software-by-telling-congress-to-reject-the-stronger-patents-act
Dear Ruben Safir,
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has long been opposed to the ways in which US and international patent law have been misused to allow for so-called "software patents." As these patents are not held over a particular piece of software, but rather any principle that can be used in its design, it is more accurate to describe them as software idea patents. Software idea patents are a grave threat to free software developers because they severely limit the scope of what they can or cannot implement, and also expose them to legal harassment from any group that has enough resources to enforce their unjust claim over a programming idea. Litigation on a software idea patent can spell financial ruin for developers and an abrupt end to any free software project. An upcoming bill in Congress would leave the free software community much more open to these kinds of attacks.
Despite its failure to pass in 2017, a bill with the appropriately Orwellian title of "Support Technology and Research of Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience" (STRONGER) Patents Act was reintroduced into Congress on July 10th, 2019. If passed, the Act would make software idea patents much more easily claimed and enforceable against developers in the free software community. Whatever its effects on other types of patents may be, the fact that it will prop up software idea patents is reason enough to reject it. As we have seen before, it is an attempt to patch a broken system. The proposed bill never bothers to question the validity of these patents as a category. To protect our community, it is our duty to inform Congress and legislators that the only remedy for the problem posed by software idea patents is to dismantle them entirely.
The FSF urges all of its supporters in the United States to contact their local congresspeople and advise them to vote against the STRONGER Patents Act. No matter where you are in the world, please stand firm in campaigning for the right of free software users and programmers to use, copy, and develop tools for user and community empowerment.
Take action!
If you're not in the US, let us know your country by updating your profile so we can send you more relevant info. In the meantime, please also help us spread the word to your contacts in the US.
Nervous? Try using the following script:
Hello,
I live in CITY/STATE. I am calling to urge you to vote against the "STRONGER" Patents Act, and protect programmers and developers from the threat of software idea patents. Thank you for your time.
Don't know who to call?
To call your congressperson directly, dial (202) 224-3121 and the switchboard will connect you.
Alternatively, you can find contact information for both your local senator and House representative online in the Senate and House directories.
In solidarity,
Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager |
| |
|
|
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_______________________________________________ Hangout mailing list Hangout-at-nylxs.com http://lists.mrbrklyn.com/mailman/listinfo/hangout
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