Published at LXer:

In yet another attack on open source software usage around the world, a copyright-focused organization is claiming that use of open source software promotes piracy. With a new 498-page report (PDF) that repeatedly defies logic, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) argues that the office of the U.S. Trade Representative should "carefully monitor" government mandates to adopt open source, and place numerous countries on watchlists.

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It's too bad that the link to the pdf referenced in the article is broken.

The link works for me. However, a 500 page report is NOT what I consider light reading.

The link appears broken here too.

Perhaps someone would post the link here for those of us it does not work for?

Follow the posted link and click the .pdf icon at the bottom of the page that appears. The .pdf will open.

The Link:

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Re...ontentType=pdf

This is worse than simply an attack on Open Source software. They want to eliminate due process procedures in the name of streamlining the judicial process.

500 pages is a lot to read so I did this:
Find all instances of "open source"
read pertinent parts
next instance
read

It can be summed up this way

"The entire world is abiding by our requests to quit pirating software, but it's not fair for them to do so by using open source software which they are happily doing. Open source software is bad and we need to put any country that has a stated policy of using open source software on a watchlist."

It's sad really.

In the end I say this is nothing more than some bitch fest by the big corporates out there that are losing on their racketeering. I honestly would like to see them actually try to enforce any kind of legal rulings against a vast majority. Gee, doesn't even the EU use OSS? And advocate it?

This is just beyond absurd, and I don't see any viable threat.

It makes me giggle a little. First they recommend that foreign governments be pressured to stop pirating software, which happens. Then they complain because somehow, in doing what was requested, using open source software threatens their intellectual property rights?

It reminds me of what my dad used to tell me: Be careful what you ask for!

Well, if people use open-source, they don't have to pirate, and they don't have to use expensive proprietary BS programs. This is very bad for M$ and other companies, so they have to destroy FLOSS, and they will. They will, because there is no courage left in the world of men ... Sauron has won.

Well, I guess it's time to surrender the location of the rebel alliance. After all, there is no power greater than the power of the dark side. Oops! Wrong story.

Yes, the only option is to join the dark side...

j/k of course

This is the real reason they're trying this stuff. They have a business model that they've all grown up with and they don't want to lose it. Besides, these industries are run by people who are FAR too stupid to understand how to change. Just look at the music industry. It had YEARS of lessons in how to develop sites that would allow people to legally purchase and download songs. All of the services like Napster gave them a business model all wrapped up with a bow. What did they do? Nothing! It wasn't until Jobs came along with iTunes that anyone really tried to follow in the footsteps of the "pirates". Now Apple owns it and the music companies are left out in the cold. Again. And Apple is making a boatload of cash off of it.

Media execs are quite possibly more stupid than politicians.