Open source referendum?

Tue May 7 14:36:51 PDT 2002

On Tue, May 07, 2002 at 01:38:36PM -0700, Webb Sprague wrote:
> Discussion on S.V. Lug about possible referendum:
> 
> http://lists.svlug.org/archives/svlug/2002-May/040386.html

YM "Ballot Initiative," HTH

It doesn't look like the sentiment really caught on over there.

Is there a lawyer among us?  We could adapt the Peruvian bill and submit
it to the California legislature.  Something along the lines of:

- State agencies can only purchase software for which the company also
  supplies source code.
- In electronic transactions with private citizens, the state must
  adhere to document formats, network protocols, and the like, which
  adhere to standards that are sufficiently documented in the public
  domain such that any third party could reasonably implement them.

The biggest problem I could see to such a bill is a scenario where the
only available software implementation is from a vendor who would demand
an obscene amount of money for a source-code license.

And the biggest impact would be on vendors of proprietary software who
recognize the importance of supplying software to the school system.  If
you want to familiarize high school and college students with Microsoft
Office running on Microsoft Windows, you'll have to supply the school
with sufficient source code such that the CS students could study the
implementation and patch the software. :)

I'd reckon one of the local lawmakers would at least humor us far enough
to bring it to committee.

-- 
http://dannyman.toldme.com/