[OT]: RMS on How the Swedish Pirate Party Platform Backfires on Free Software

[Scott Elcomb]

"The bullying of the copyright industry in Sweden inspired the launch
of the first political party whose platform is to reduce copyright
restrictions: the Pirate Party. Its platform includes the prohibition
of Digital Restrictions Management, legalization of noncommercial
sharing of published works, and shortening of copyright for commercial
use to a five-year period. Five years after publication, any published
work would go into the public domain."

"I support these changes, in general; but the specific combination
chosen by the Swedish Pirate Party backfires ironically in the special
case of free software. I'm sure that they did not intend to hurt free
software, but that's what would happen."

Possible solutions are included in the complete article at:
  http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/pirate-party.html

-- 
  Scott Elcomb
  http://www.psema4.com/   @psema4
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