Sites Shut Down to Protest Software Patents 563
blueser writes "I went today to TUTOS homepage to check for a newer version, and I was surprised to see that the author replaced the homepage by a 'Closed because of Software-Patents' page, with a brief explanation." Just one site? that's hardly a big deal, but there's more. maliabu writes "Knoppix is closed, apparently waiting for the European Parliament to decide about the legalisation and adoption of so-called 'software patents' in Europe." And still more. SLbigE writes "The Wine HQ website has temporarily shut down its webpage in protest to a proposed law in Europe regarding Software Patents." There's many more sites as well, these were just the first I was alerted to, Feel free to note some more in comments. Looks like they're doing a good job of illustrating what could be lost soon.
MRTG (Score:2, Interesting)
I hold a patent (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously though, does anybody have a link to the actual patents filed that contain references to "scrolling within a window", or "progress bars"? I'd be interested in looking over the legal ramifications in the US...
Vote delayed (Score:5, Interesting)
'Shut down' (Score:1, Interesting)
An MEP Replies (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Europe shows the US what to do... (Score:3, Interesting)
I say go for it. 2003.1111, 6AM EST 3AM PST, for 24 hours? Go for it! Everyone in the US rename your pages and slap up a simple INDEX.HTM, you can toss together in a minute with notepad. 24 hours, forget it, I'll have it up for 72
-uso.
Re:An MEP Replies (Score:3, Interesting)
From Glenys Kinnock (Labour) I got a paraphrased version of one of the directive's author Arlene McCarthy's own (self-praising) letters which is already posted on seveeral mailing lists. (I doubt Glenys uses Google much, or she'd be a little more careful what she sends out.)
After receiving these two, I got seriously annoyed that this vague and partial directive would pass due to a mixture of horse trading, lobbying special interests and the old pals act, so I'm glad to hear it looks like it's going back to the committee stage.
On a brighter note, Conservative Richard Balfe sent a thoughtful reply saying we should 'move carefully' and that he would 'take on board' my points when voting.
Jean Lambert sent me the most positive response I've had, which shows the Greens are very strongly onside, and noting that "The influence of the Business Software Alliance (whose main members are Microsoft and IBM) behind the project has been widely condemned."
At least these people actually bothered to answer, other MEPs haven't so far.
Re:To the point.... (Score:1, Interesting)
Anyway, none of this will ever happen....
Re: Slashdot is not down (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Rpm find (Score:5, Interesting)
These site shutting down in protest is not very professional. This is one of the problems with the free software community, politics plays too heavy of a role in their actions.
If you are too timid to take actions that are going to inconvenience somebody you will never be noticed. Software patents are serious. You lose your Linux dodad today; software patents could eventually make you lose them forever.
For instance, do you really believe that the labor movement would ever have gotten anywhere if they never held any strikes? That the civil rights movement would have gotten anywhere if they never got in anybody's face?
The road to hell is paved with business as usual. Shutting down your websites may be "unprofessional", but it makes a meaningful protest that gets across the point of just how serious these sites believe the issue is.
-Rob
Re:This is ridiculous (Score:4, Interesting)
Change the Law (Score:5, Interesting)
While it focusses on reforming copyright laws, most of what I say applies to patents. Note that in the U.S. at least, patents have the same legal foundation as copyrights, being authorized by the same clause in the Constitution.
The steps I suggest are:
The above article is going to be put under a Creative Commons license to encourage copying as soon as I have the final draft done. I expect that to happen this weekend. So check back and copy the article to other websites when it's ready.
Also I closed my consulting business website [goingware.com] a couple days ago and will keep it that way a couple more days.
While I don't get a huge amount of traffic to my homepage, I also don't expect most of the people visiting it to already be free software enthusiasts who know all about the patent controversy.
Re:Lawyers aren't the problem (Score:2, Interesting)
As for saying "no" to ridiculous lawsuits, patents, etc. it _is_ done, probably moreso than most think. Secondly, it is not always in an individual lawyer's ability to do so. If a lawfirm partner says "ClientX, who is a very valuable client, has 23 valid IP patents and 1 so-so patent. But someone is infringing on the so-so one. Go get them Associate-Boy" it's not like the associate can say "Sorry Mr. Partner-Man, no can do". They could, but it would be like an IT person in an all Windows shop saying "We must switch over to Linux because Windows is Non-free". There is moral merit to the argument, but it doesn't make business sense and it's not really the whipping boy's decision to make.
Again, I don't absolve all lawyers of guilt in the matter, but I want people to recognize and point fingers at the other parts of the problem
psxndc
Is This Really Effective? (Score:3, Interesting)
Don't get me wrong; I'm against software patents too. But this seems no different than if, say, abortion clinics closed their doors to protest potential anti-abortion legislation -- it's going to make the other side happier, and I doubt anyone in the EU would even notice. Frankly, I think all this is doing is inconveniencing those in the OpenSource community who are trying to download the programs, forcing those who really need it to find a closed-source (and patented!) equivalent. They're hurting their cause, not helping it. The petition someone here linked to would be a far more effective way of protesting.
Not just a handful (Score:3, Interesting)
companies doing the same.
If slashdotters really want to have an impact (Score:3, Interesting)
Accidentally hit reset on a few well chosen machines all at the same time -- say maybe midnight GMT tonight.
I bet the shock to the Internet would be nothing compared to the political earthquake of headlines reading "Slashdot readers bring down Internet in protest over software patents."
Are the PHP folks participating also? (Score:2, Interesting)