[fsfc-discuss] Fwd: Re: "FSF Canada"

[Russell McOrmond]

Forwarding to fill people in the list in...

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: "FSF Canada"
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:04:42 -0500
From: Russell McOrmond <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
CC: address@hidden


Richard and John,

  Is it possible for one or both of you to post what you wrote to me to
the address@hidden mailing list?  There are many other Canadians
in that list who are keen to do things, and any guidance and suggestions
(or clarifications of what is possible under the FSF banner in Canada)
would be very helpful!

  Thank you very much for taking notice of what we are trying to do,
and hope that you (or someone from the FSF you can designate) can
participate with the members of that list.


  If there are specific things you think would be a better use of the
fsf.ca and fsfc.ca domain names, let me know.

..............

  As to what we need to do:

  The greatest threat to free software in Canada right now is the DMCA+
style anti-circumvention legislation that forms the core of Bill C-11.
(access controls, use controls not tied to infringing uses, prohibition
on circumvention devices, etc)

  My primary activist work for the last decade has been in opposition
to those policies.

  The current bill is a re-tabling of a bill that died when an election
called.  We've already been told that anyone who appeared in front of
the committee for the previous bill will not be allowed to speak at
committee for the new bill.

  While I spoke in front of the committee ( http://c11.ca/own has
links), it seemed obvious that MPs did not understand the arguments and
how TPMs applied to devices are an infringement of our property rights
as technology owners (and from that the threats to free software, etc).

  Can the FSF ensure that someone is available to speak?  I can do my
part to help get an FSF speaker onto the list to ensure that our
critical voice is heard.   I've been active on this file for some time,
and have gotten to know a number of the MPs who will be on the committee.


  Let me know -- it is unfortunate how the free software movement and
technology owners have simply not been adequately represented in this
policy debate.



On 12-02-12 10:13 AM, Richard Stallman wrote:
>         Don't worry -- this isn't a group trying to start an FSF that isn't a
>      branch of the US FSF, but a group discussing what we need to do to help
>      grow the FSF into Canada.
>
> The thing is, both of those paths have problems.  The FSF does not
> have any branches, and we would not know how to have one.  "Growing
> into Canada" is difficult if that involves an organization which is
> legally separate.
>
> On the other hand, you could easily do things for the FSF in Canada,
> working for the FSF's staff.  We could set up a separate fund for
> donations to be used in Canada, with the proviso that if it doesn't
> get enough money to do something special in Canada, we would want to
> be able to use the funds some other way.