[Linux-discussion] Corporate Obligations and FOSS

[A. Mani]

It is well known that the mega corporations in India are among the
most irresponsible in the world.

For any level of inclusive approach to IT based development, it is
necessary to invest substantially in FOSS based projects.
This is all the more important because many of them are committed to
closed source software, slavery to Microsoft and are anti-FOSS. This
includes companies like INFOSYS, TCS and many others. It is not that
they have any shortage of resources.

Given the plutocratic nature of the Indian state, a nice way to tame
them would be by the imposition of heavy taxes (50%+) on use of closed
source software and proprietary solutions with all proceeds being
diverted to FOSS based projects in different spheres of activity. I
think a suitable bill encompassing this should be formulated and
forced upon the Central and different state Govts. The entire lower
middle, middle and upper middle and parts of upper classes can also be
made to campaign for the legislation.

Some militancy may also be needed.

Best

A. Mani

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http://www.logicamani.co.cc
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[Joseph Mathew]

A more practical approach, is for Govt. agencies to insist on FOSS
solutions, even if it need to be built by TCS and INFOSYS.
Until the Govt learns that this is needed they will never change. If
Govt needs to change, the people need to make them aware. So the
solution is back in the people's hand!
Time to talk about FOSS to children, so that at least the next
generation will benefit.
Mathew

[Indranil Das Gupta]

Hi

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 7:52 AM, A. Mani <a.man...@gmail.com> wrote:

> It is well known that the mega corporations in India are among the
> most irresponsible in the world.

Can you share the reference to the study / surveys conducted that
presents the data in support? I would really like to get hold of it
:-)

<snipped>

> Given the plutocratic nature of the Indian state, a nice way to tame
> them would be by the imposition of heavy taxes (50%+) on use of closed
> source software and proprietary solutions with all proceeds being
> diverted to FOSS based projects in different spheres of activity. I
> think a suitable bill encompassing this should be formulated and
> forced upon the Central and different state Govts.  The entire lower
> middle, middle and upper middle and parts of upper classes can also be
> made to campaign for the legislation.

Since most of the proprietary software being produced by US / European
headquartered companies, India's status as a WTO / GATT signatory as
well as bilateral and multi-lateral trade agreements that are in place
excludes the scope of erection of such high tax barriers. Unless India
can and does walk out of the WTO and such similar organizations and
agreement. Which is highly unlikely to happen in any case.

Besides, if high taxes are placed on closed source software when it is
used or implemented in e-gov and other projects, IMO, it is likely to
be recovered back from citizens like you and me, by the way of raised
/ revised fees and levies.

IMHO, a more pragmatic campaign could be the campaign for ensuring
that all software development undertaken by the govt and its various
agencies (excluding ones that are used in defense or has national
security concerns) using public resources should be placed back under
public scutiny and access with rights to the full published source
code. Something similar to the lines of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_of_the_United_States_Government

just my 2p :)

-idg

[Arijit Majumder]

Since I work in a Govt. organization I can tell with certainty that
the basic problem lies with the level of awareness. The people
responsible for policy making (Ministers and Bureaucrats) relies on
outside experts most of the time and it is easy for Corporations with
large money power and vested interests to buy off members of the
expert committee (see what is happening with BT brinjal). And though
the final responsibility lies with the elected representatives a lot
of the time decisions are actually taken by constitutional committees
like Planning Commission and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee,
who have absolutely no accountability towards common public.

In our country Govt. is still the biggest spender and if Govt.
mandates that FOSS is required to be used for all public projects
(which is already happening at certain level) then corporations will
simply be forced to use FOSS. One should remember that in today's era
of coalition politics it is not possible for any Govt. to unilaterally
put any tax regime and change also will not come in a day. It comes
very slowly with lot of prodding and pushing. Our job as FOSS advocate
is to push and prod relentlessly without getting tired.

Just IMHO

Arijit

[Ashwin]

Minister and bureaucrats do not trust the departmental officers and
staff on the basis (which is also a fact) that there is corruption which
causes problems for the public on a daily basis. Officers and staff on
the other hand do not work for the public good on the same premise that
ministers and bureaucrats have enjoyed kick backs in
the public welfare schemes too etc. and etc. and this carries on as
an endless cycle.

Any person who can break this cycle are the staff and officers
as they are the ones who are in contact with the general public
and are very much part of the general public. But there is a
human tendency to be greedy.......

A very basic principle -

a thought / an idea belongs to an individual i.e. patents and
copyrights....breeds and feeds - greed and corruption.

All systems - corporate or government or public life in general
exist on the above principle, which in turn promotes greed for
money and power.

Concentrated (institutionalized) rights with power to spending
money in the form of government and corporate budgets ensures
liberal views and values are suppressed by all means available.

Nowadays, FOSS is more an idealism and sweet talk for living
room discussions only and on the mailing lists of LUGs and
a little aware computer user's forums.

It is the greed that we need to fight. Raise hands. :)

with Regards,
ASHWIN

[hizibiz]

---

From: Ashwin <ashwin...@gmail.com>
To: linux-di...@ilug-cal.info
Sent: Wed, 27 January, 2010 1:58:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Linux-discussion] Corporate Obligations and FOSS

....

It is the greed that we need to fight. Raise hands. :)

with Regards,
ASHWIN

in a society where personal and family security and well being (in material sense) is directly proportional to money, one needs money. the extent and perception of need is changing since the environment is dynamic.  there are different ways to have "more money"  - honest dishonest corruption included . i'm particularly not against private practice of doctors and teachers ( those professions largely determines the characteristic trend of a society ) if they do their official duty well. the need of hour is to fix the bad ways and create more good ways. FOSS does the later effectively. now its on lawmaker and user's common sense to get to the right track. militarization has worked in some places but not in the long run. greater awareness will at least create some barrier ( from my previous Govt. experience ) to adopt the wrong path.

tks & regs
hizibiz

---

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[A. Mani]

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:51 AM, Indranil Das Gupta <ind...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi
>
> On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 7:52 AM, A. Mani <a.man...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> It is well known that the mega corporations in India are among the
>> most irresponsible in the world.
>
> Can you share the reference to the study / surveys conducted that
> presents the data in support? I would really like to get hold of it
> :-)

'Corporate responsibility' is a relative term. There are no general
standards defining it. From the FOSS point of view, we have many
references to it. A detailed study does not seem to available. Of
course, we know about companies lobbying for software patents, bad
standards, voting for M$OOXML, and generally working against both FOSS
and OSS.

My inference was based on the very limited regulations imposed on the
large companies, violations thereof and subjective reports about
anti-people behaviour in the country,

http://www.newint.org/features/2007/12/01/the-facts/ says something
about comparison.

known things:
http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/full-text-of-section-3k-relating-to.html
http://boycottnovell.com/2010/01/27/gaining-private-access/
http://www.sarai.net/research/knowledge-culture/critical-public-legal-resources/whysoftwarepatentsareharmful.pdf

There are many recent academic studies from different economic
standpoints including Marxist ones. The approaches are subjective.

Apparently, there are no Indian variants of http://www.corpwatch.org/index.php

Best

A. Mani

--
A. Mani
ASL, CLC, AMS, CMS
http://www.logicamani.co.cc