This is a great news. Congrats to all those who worked for it. Thanks, Roopesh
On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 1:53 PM, Venkatesh Hariharan < [email protected]> wrote: > Dear Parminder, > > Thanks for the kind words. It was a massive team effort spanning more than > three years. The real credit goes to those unsung heroes in academia and > government who toiled really hard behind the scenes. When the key > discussions were happening, they were the ones who withstood the pressure to > dilute the policy. I was lucky to have a very visible role because of my > writing and speaking skills, plus tremendous organizational backing from Red > Hat, for the last three years. > > At a later date, I want to write a more detailed account of the open > standards battle and the previous OOXML battle to give people in our > community (and also others involved in policy change in India) how policy > battles need to be fought and won. In that account, I will try to give due > credit to all the people involved. Right now, I don't want to single out > anyone because the focus should be on what we accomplished as a team and > where we need to go next. > > This is a tremendous victory for FOSS in India and a truly defining moment. > This victory, combined with our victory in keeping software patents out of > the 2005 Patent Amendment Act means that we have been extremely successful > in containing two of the biggest threats to FOSS. The tremendous energies > that we channeled into defending FOSS now needs to be focussed on expanding > FOSS to every nook and corner of India. Collectively, we will now have to > demonstrate new levels of maturity, leadership and willingness to engage > with the political establishment. We must build a new India on the > principles of open source -- collaboration, transparency, sharing and merit. > This is FOSS 2.0 for India and a great journey lies ahead of us. > > Venky > > > > > On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 8:47 AM, parminder <[email protected]>wrote: > >> This is great! >> >> While many from the civil society were involved in helping shape a >> progressive open standards in egov policy, and staving off the many strong >> threats to it, Venky's contribution to this process was singularly >> outstanding. I have seen few such committed personal efforts in advocacy. He >> was single-mindedly focussed on 'not what we did' (the bane of much civil >> society advocacy efforts) but on 'what happened', and 'what more could be >> done to make more happen'. >> >> He not only studiously tracked every step and each movement in the policy >> making process, at every point he did almost more than what is humanly >> possible to contact all people who could be of use at the particular moment, >> kept pursing them relentlessly, and saw to it that the best impact possible >> of progressive actors was made. One can never fully judge what would have >> happened if this or that had not been done, but I do consider it very likely >> that we would not have got the policy in this shape without his efforts. So >> special personal congratulations to you , Venky. Also to all others who did >> so much work in this matter. Not much good is happening in India's policy >> making spaces today, and these few victories feel that much sweeter. >> Parminder >> >> On Friday 12 November 2010 05:26 PM, Venkatesh Hariharan wrote: >> >> The open standards policy has been finalized and it incorporates many of >> the suggestions made by the FOSS community in India. In the previous draft >> dated 25/11/2009, our major objection was to section 4.1.2 of the policy >> which said, >> >> "4.1.2 The essential patent claims necessary to implement the Identified >> Standard should preferably be >> available on a Royalty-Free (no payment and no restrictions) basis for the >> life time of the standard. >> However, if such Standards are not found feasible and in the wider public >> interest, then RF on Fair, >> Reasonable and Non Discriminatory terms and conditions (FRAND) or >> Reasonable and Non >> Discriminatory terms and conditions (RAND) could be considered." >> >> Our comment on this section reads: >> >> The usage of terms like “preferably” in a section titled, “Mandatory >> Characteristics” >> weakens the section and could even render it meaningless. Mandatory >> characteristics should be laid >> out clearly and unambiguously, >> >> The term “essential patent claims,” is meaningless because a standard >> cannot be implemented >> partially. Therefore, the ENTIRE standard should be royalty-free and not >> just the "essential" parts of it. >> In other words, ALL patent claims necessary to implement the standard >> should be royalty-free. Also, >> RF on FRAND/RAND is self-contradictory. If a Standard is Royalty Free (RF) >> then it cannot be RAND. >> Therefore, the wording of this section should be changed to "ALL patent >> claims necessary to >> implement the Identified Standard should be available on a Royalty-Free >> (no payment and no >> restrictions) basis for the life time of the standard. However, if such >> Standards are not found feasible >> and in the wider public interest, then Fair, Reasonable and Non >> Discriminatory terms and conditions >> (FRAND) or Reasonable and Non Discriminatory terms and conditions (RAND) >> could be considered.” >> >> As you can see from the extract below, the points mentioned above have >> been incorporated In the recently finalized policy. This section now reads: >> >> 4.1.2 The Patent claims necessary to implement the Identified Standard >> shall be made available on a Royalty-Free basis for the life time of the >> Standard. >> >> Overall, I'd say this is a major victory for the Indian FOSS community and >> more than three years of hard work have paid off. The file can be downloaded >> from: >> >> http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standthe suggestions >> mards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file<http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file> >> >> or from: >> >> http://egovstandards.gov.in<http://egovstandards.gov.in/approved-standards/egscontent.2010-11-12.9124322046/at_download/file>(click >> on the links on the top left hand side). >> >> Venky >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> network mailing >> [email protected]http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> network mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > network mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in > >
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