[LUG] Exeter: what do we want public policy to be?

[Adrian Midgley <akm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd appreciate members' indulgence here, and a considerable degree of care 
and precision in replies in this thread.

I propose we decide whather there are particular elements of public policy 
that we would like our representatives to take forward to City Hall, County 
Hall,  Westminster and Brussels.

Among possible items to form or express an opinion upon I'd suggest the law 
as it applies to the playing of DVDs on computers - DeCSS, fair use etc;

The purchasing policies and certain design criteria for software in the 
public sector;

Patent law as it might apply to software (personally I believe it should not, 
whereas copyright of particular implementations of generally discovered or 
discoverable ideas and techniques should exist.)


The intermediate target would be a range of briefings prepared for local use, 
and for national use which as well as any points such as the need for 
legislation to be clarified or drafted would cover such matters as total cost 
of ownership, the provision of support for OSS and the arguments related to 
security and economic well-being from Peru and elsewhere, in relation to 
Exeter.

Nothing against the rest of the Peninsula, just don't know their MPs.
-- 
From one of the Linux desktops of Dr Adrian Midgley 
http://www.defoam.net/             

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