[Wikipedia-l] [Fwd: Software Patents: Help Us Win in the Europarl!]

[Ray Saintonge]

Jimmy Wales wrote:

>Kurt Jansson wrote:
>
>>Of course not. Wikipedia should take part because software patents could 
>>have direct effects on the project. They threaten free software (like 
>>MediaWiki) in general, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone claimed to 
>>have a patent on "websites which are editable by visitors" (of course 
>>formulated much more eloquently).
>>
>Well, lots of things could possibly affect us.  War, changes to the
>U.S. tax laws, proposed 'hate speech' laws in the U.S. and Europe, the
>list is endless.
>
I read the proposal for Wikipedia support, and I treated it as some kind 
of borderline spam.  I am very concerned about IP laws and how they 
might affect the open nature of our projects.  What I saw was a 
reference to a proposed European law, and one individual's 
interpretation of what it '''might''' mean.  Even if we were to 
seriously consider some kind of support, I for one would want a lot more 
concrete information about the matter than one person's amateur 
interpretation.  Anything else would not be prudent.

>>>Taking sides is something that
>>>all of us have a moral responsibility to do as individuals, but
>>>Wikipedia the encyclopedia is outside politics.
>>>
>>Sorry, but that sounds a bit naive to me.
>>
>
>Maybe, but that's what's so charming about me, isn't it?  ;-)
>
>Seriously, though, I think it's naive to think that we can start down
>a path of using Wikipedia for political purposes and not set some very
>bad precedent for the future, bad *internal* precedent, leading to
>huge amounts of internal dissent.  As if we don't have enough already.
>
There is a difference between taking sides as individuals and as a 
collective.  As individuals we accept the consequences for ourselves; as 
a collective we accept those consequences on behalf of others.  I agree 
with Jimbo's interpretation.  If we are at any time to take a political 
stand on this sort of thing it must be fully discussed beforehand, and 
it must have an immediate connection to the vital interests of 
Wikimedia.  Prudence and due dilligence are important preconditions.

Ec