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Russian Bill Makes Free Software a Public Priority

posted by takyon on Tuesday November 15 2016, @08:10AM   
from the free-vs-paymerican dept.

mrpg writes:

Legislators have drafted a bill [PDF in Russian] that will boost Free Software on multiple levels within the Russian Federation's public sector.

The draft, approved by the Russian Federation's Duma (lower chamber) in mid-October, requires the public sector to prioritise Free Software over proprietary alternatives, gives precedence to local IT businesses that offer Free Software for public tenders, and recognises the need to encourage collaboration with the global network of Free Software organisations and communities.

[...] Another interesting aspect of the law is how the authors of the bill have made an extra effort to ensure the language used in the draft are correct. For one, only software carrying licenses that allow the four freedoms may be legally labelled as "Free Software":

Source: Free Software Foundation Europe

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Original Submission

• Re:Software as a Service Re:Software as a Service (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @01:40PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @01:40PM (#426946)

  The "where no suitable alternative exists" is a gaping loophole in such legislation.

  The Free Software Foundation recognizes this, of course, and works constantly (if slowly) to develop "suitable alternatives" to nonfree software that stops people from being able to use all free software.

  The problem is with the definition of "suitable". For example, if you define "suitable" software to require support for some proprietary data format that requires patent-encumbered technologies to process, then Free Software already is out, even if it would have solved the actual task as well as or better than the proprietary competitor. One area where this matters is media players; I'm sure the big media associations will make sure that "suitable" implies "supports and enforces DRM", again excluding Free Software.

  Parent

• Re:Software as a Service (Score: 2) by requerdanos on Tuesday November 15 2016, @02:06PM

  by requerdanos (5997) on Tuesday November 15 2016, @02:06PM (#426953) Journal

  if you define "suitable" software to require support for some proprietary data format that requires patent-encumbered technologies to process, then Free Software already is out... I'm sure the big media associations will make sure that "suitable" implies "supports and enforces DRM", again excluding Free Software.

  Quite true; this illustrates the importance of mindshare.

  Parent

• Only in countries that accept those patents. Only in countries that accept those patents. (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @02:19PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @02:19PM (#426959)

  In the Russian Federation according to article #1350 of the Civil Code the following are not patentable:

  • scientific theories and mathematical methods;
  • rules of games and methods of playing;
  • intellectual and economic activity;
  • software for computers.

  Parent

  • Re:Only in countries that accept those patents. (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @06:17PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @06:17PM (#427084)

    In the Russian Federation according to article #1350 of the Civil Code the following are not patentable:

    [...]
            rules of games and methods of playing;

    Ah, now I understand what the point of gamification is. "No, we didn't violate any patent, because any patent that might apply must be invalid. You see, our company employs gamification; instead of having workers that build cars, we've got paid players who compete in a game of building cars. The process we used was part of the rules of the game and the methods of playing it. And rules of games and methods of playing are not patentable."

    Parent