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"With the elections to the Parliament nearing, the main political parties in the country have started announcing their manifestos. It is heartening to see that the CPI(M) and BJP have included references to Free Software (FS) in their manifestos. CPI(M) has generally been supportive of Free Software and has helped in the campaign against software patents.
Bangalore: While many people take the slogan “Saying no to software patents” to mean the right to usage of free Internet software, the issue of patenting is rooted in a larger milieu, affecting not only users of software, but also those who develop software and service it.
"As part of FSF India's effort to strengthen the free software movement in AP, FSF India has been working closely with free software activists there. Initiatives like Swecha took place as part of that. FSF India Director, Mr Kiranchandra provided the leadership for the activities in Andhra Pradesh.
In this interview, Microsoft India Chairman talks about Software Piracy (we call that sharing) in India and why it's bad, why "Intellectual Property Rights" are important. The contrast in thoughts of the Free Software community about the same issues is particularly interesting to note.
The contentious issue of software patents is rearing its head again, both in India and globally. The Indian Patent Office, for instance, invited companies and institutions to comment on its Draft Manual 2008 — Patent Practice & Procedure (software patents included) this April.
