[Bradford] UK Government Moves To Legislate Against Free Software

[Brian]

So, what can be done about this? Personally I feel that I'd like to write to someone about it. Has anyone set up a campaign? I do write programs but they are usually to drive a web site, for personal use, rather than desktop applications. I don't feel that I have a sufficient grasp of the facts and implications that someone who works in the field, or is a developer of FOSS would have.

I think that if a campaign doesn't already exist to fight such legislation then I think that this is something that Avaaz might take up, but it would need someone who could put forward clear arguments in a submission to them. 
A few individuals writing to a few MPs is unlikely to work as MPs will be usually be non-technical and have probably been bombarded with propaganda from companies with commercial interests.

Brian



________________________________
 From: Robert Burrell Donkin <robertburrelldonkin at gmail.com>
To: bradford <Bradford at mailman.lug.org.uk> 
Sent: Saturday, 7 July 2012, 10:30
Subject: [Bradford] UK Government Moves To Legislate Against Free Software
 
Major highlights (from a Free Software perspective) of legislation to
be introduced in the Autumn:

* Works published under a pseudonym will cease to be copyrightable
* Unless every contributor to a Free Software product
  * is easily identifiable and contactable
     * then for a small administrative fee the government will issue a
new license for the work under more acceptable terms
  * opts out of a collective rights agreement
     * then a collective rights organisation will be allowed to
collect commercial fee from every user of that software in the UK
* Copyright will not be effectively enforceable unless I pay to have
each and every version registered with a Digital Exchange, which will
then commercial charge fees for use

As a creator of FOSS, this effectively abolishes my rights to license
as pleases me and to limit my liability.

And yes, the government was informed about the potential impact on the
software sector

Apparently my "moral rights" will be not be effected by this change
since those who profit from my work will have to retain some form of
attribution

Robert

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