October 2009 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

"Software Freedom Law Show on the history of documentation licensing"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/18350 Software Freedom Law Show on the history of documentation licensing Mike Linksvayer, October 10th, 2009 The Software Freedom Law Show, Episode 0×16 contains numerous bits of interest to CC geeks and is well worth a listen. The show’s hosts, Karen Sandler and Bradley Kuhn of the Software Freedom Law Center, discuss among other things: * How the GFDL turned out suboptimally — a key point is that developing good public licenses is very hard, the the GFDL was one of the very first for software documentation or other non-software works. * The migration of Wikipedia and sister projects from GFDL to CC BY-SA, successfully completed this June. * The importance of public license stewardship by mission-driven nonprofits — Bradley Kuhn’s writing on stewardship has been noted previously on this blog. * The license used for the show itself, which is CC BY-ND. * A promise to talk about the public domain and specifically CC0 in a future episode. Looking forward to it. One quick addendum to the show, in which the hosts wonder if CC has a public versioning process. The answer is yes — see a a list of CC blog posts over the course of development of our 3.0 licenses. The next, eventual versioning will be even more public and rigorous, just as the GPLv3 had a development process far more in depth than that of any public software license that preceded it.

Oct. 11, 2009

Internet Human Rights Declaration - Issued by 15 Chinese Intellectuals

by J.C. DE MARTIN

http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/2009/10/happy-internet-human-r… *Internet Human Rights Declaration Issued by 15 Chinese Intellectuals* Those of us who are standing on the riverbank overlooking the torrent of history have witnessed the potential of this new technology: the Internet. We understand how this new technological revolution has brought about progress and social change. It has great potential to advance basic human rights and freedom for the Chinese people. Its contribution to civilisation will be on a par with the discovery of iron and fire, or the invention of plough and wheel in ancient times. We acknowledge the arrival of netizen activism and regard it as an irreversible trend. Citizen reporting, which involves the use of mobile phones and digital cameras for live information dissemination, has already become a popular trend. The Internet has also provided netizens with unlimited space for creativity, and for voicing opinions through weblogs, podcasts, BBS and online comments. We believe it is a citizen's responsibility to be concerned about public affairs, and a netizen's responsibility to care about freedom of speech on the Internet. Netizens are exercising their civil rights when they legally express their opinions or when they report the truth of what has actually happened. The best way to rejuvenate an ancient civilisation is to inject it with new core values based on the advancement of happiness and of basic human rights for individuals. It is also the best way to improve well-being for everyone in China. For these reasons, freedom of speech on the Internet should be encouraged, nurtured and tolerated. We therefore pledge for the following principles to be endorsed: 1. Freedom of speech on the Internet is a part of citizens' rights to freedom of speech. It is the most basic human rights and the most fundamental value that should be pursued, treasured and protected. 2. Netizens who express their opinions on the Internet using words, sounds, pictures or videos, should be protected and encouraged, as long as such conduct is in accord with the constitution and local statutes. 3. The right to publish opinion is the most basic rights for netizens. This includes the right to publish through weblogs and podcasts, as well as online discussion forums. Netizens' rights to publish should not be subjected to unlawful investigation and interference. They should be allowed freedom to hold and to express their views without feeling intimidated. 4. Netizens' editorial rights should be respected. When they are exercising those rights, they should not be subjected to harassment by authorities who act outside of law. 5. It is the right of Netizens to conduct interviews and to report their findings. This right is protected as a part of their constitutional rights to freedom of speech. Netizens who excercise this right should endeavour to report the truth, and to avoid distortions, fabrications and malicious slander. 6. It is the right of netizens to make comments and to exchange opinion. This includes the right to ask questions, to monitor, to criticise and to boycott. 7. Netizens' freedom of speech encompasses a right to express themselves anonymously. Anonymity enables some authors to express their opinions in ways that best suit their needs. This legal right should be respected as long as an anonymous author is expressing his views in accordance with legal and constitutional requirements. 8. The right to search for information on the Internet is an integral part of netizens' rights to expression, to be informed, and to act as watchdogs. It is our opinion that law-abiding websites should not be filtered, and that netizens' rights to conduct searches on public information for personal use should be respected and protected. 9. Online privacy should be respected and protected. Netizens' real identities and personal information should not be disclosed unless the information is required for a transparent legal proceeding, or else if the disclosure is necessary under the rule of law. 10. The free flow of information should be respected and protected as long as it is conducted in line with legal and constitutional requirements. Website monitoring, filtering and blockades that go against the principle of freedom of speech should be condemned by public opinion. Netizens are entitled to seek freedom of expression and justice through judicial proceedings. We call for the establishing of an Internet Human Rights Day, to remind everyone of the need to safeguard freedom of speech on the Internet. This is the only effective way to make sure all people in China enjoy human rights and happiness. 10 October 1911 was the day when a group of patriots staged an uprising to end the rule of a cruel and racist dynasty. They also put an end to a long imperialist history. As a way of commemorating their bravery and their spirit of freedom, we suggest to make every October 10th China's Internet Human Rights Day. (via IRP mailing list via Rebecca MacKinnon)

Oct. 11, 2009

NYTimes: Sergey Brin, "A library for ever"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

October 9, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor A Library to Last Forever By SERGEY BRIN Mountain View, Calif. “THE fundamental reasons why the electric car has not attained the popularity it deserves are (1) The failure of the manufacturers to properly educate the general public regarding the wonderful utility of the electric; (2) The failure of [power companies] to make it easy to own and operate the electric by an adequate distribution of charging and boosting stations. The early electrics of limited speed, range and utility produced popular impressions which still exist.” This quotation would hardly surprise anyone who follows electric vehicles. But it may be surprising to hear that in the year when it was written thousands of electric cars were produced and that year was nearly a century ago. This appeared in a 1916 issue of the journal Electrical World, which I found in Google Books, our searchable repository of millions of books. It may seem strange to look back a hundred years on a topic that is so contemporary, yet I often find that the past has valuable lessons for the future. In this case, I was lucky — electric vehicles were studied and written about extensively early in the 20th century, and there are many books on the subject from which to choose. Because books published before 1923 are in the public domain, I am able to view them easily. But the vast majority of books ever written are not accessible to anyone except the most tenacious researchers at premier academic libraries. Books written after 1923 quickly disappear into a literary black hole. With rare exceptions, one can buy them only for the small number of years they are in print. After that, they are found only in a vanishing number of libraries and used book stores. As the years pass, contracts get lost and forgotten, authors and publishers disappear, the rights holders become impossible to track down. [...] Continua qui: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09brin.html

Oct. 10, 2009

Prossimo "mercoledi' di NEXA"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Per il ciclo di incontri "Mercoledì di NEXA"* "/*Libertà di espressione e Internet"*/ *Mercoledì 14 ottobre 2009, ore 18-20* *Corso Trento 21, Torino* *Ingresso libero* Mercoledì prossimo nella sede di NEXA, Centro di Ricerca su Internet e Società, si parla di *libertà di espressione e Internet* con *Andrea Cairola,* esperto di sviluppo dei media e libertà di stampa. La libertà di espressione è uno dei diritti fondamentali che distinguono una società democratica da una che non lo è. Questo diritto, sancito nel 1948 quando l'Assemblea Generale delle Nazioni Unite proclama la Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti Umani. Dopo la stampa, la radio e la televisione, Internet sta ora enormemente ampliando la libertà di espressione. E' in questo contesto che si colloca l'incontro, nel corso del quale verrà anche presentata l'impostazione preliminare di una nuova ricerca del Centro NEXA sul tema di libertà di espressione e Internet. Tra l'altro si discuterà se Internet è condizionabile alla stessa maniera degli altri /media/ e come misurare/ /l'effettivo grado di pluralismo della Rete. Con Andrea Cairola, si confronteranno su questi temi i co-direttori e i fellows del Centro NEXA, nonche' tutti quanti vorranno intervenire. *Andrea Cairola* Andrea Cairola è un esperto di sviluppo dei media e libertà di stampa in ambito internazionale. E' stato funzionario dell'UNESCO, l'agenzia Onu che ha il mandato di promuovere il libero flusso dell'informazione e la libertà di espressione. Si è occupato di cooperazione allo sviluppo di media pluralisti, indipendenti e professionali in Afghanistan, in Nepal, in Kazakhstan, in Repubblica Centrafricana, nel Caucaso e nei Balcani. Ha gestito progetti per la creazione di media di comunità, la cooperazione tra le TV nei Balcani e la creazione di una rete di monitoraggio degli attacchi ai giornalisti in Somalia. Si occupa anche di legislazione comparata sui media e del libero accesso all'informazione detenuta dalle autorità pubbliche.Rientrato in Italia Andrea Cairola continua l'attività internazionale come consulente con Onu e ONG specializzate. In Italia, come giornalista ha curato inchieste per la trasmissione Report di Rai 3, collaborato con La Stampa,con La Stampa Web. Nel 2003 ha scritto e co-diretto il documentario "Citizen Berlusconi", inchiesta sul mestiere di giornalista ed il conflitto di interessi, prodotta dall'americana PBS e da un pool di televisioni europee, andata in onda in oltre 20 paesi. *Lettura consigliata *(tra le tante possibili) Cass R. Sunstein, "Republic.com: Cittadini informati o consumatori di informazioni?", Il Mulino, 2003 (nonché l'edizione successiva, "Republic.com 2.0", non ancora tradotta). *Prossimo mese:* *Mercoledì 11 novembre 2009, ore 18-20:* "*La Internet Governance"* Lo sviluppo di Internet e il suo impatto sugli aspetti sociali, economici e politici su scala globale hanno fatto emergere la necessità di discutere una nuova "governance" della rete. Antonella Pizzaleo, esperta di Governance di Internet e ricercatrice del Centro NEXA, presenterà i risultati preliminari della sua ricerca. *Che cosa è il ciclo di incontri "Mercoledì di NEXA"* *Il Centro di ricerca NEXA su Internet e Società apre le sue porte non solo agli esperti e a tutti coloro i quali lavorano con Internet ma anche a tutti i semplici appassionati. Mercoledì 14 ottobre alle ore 18 riprende il via il ciclo di incontri ideato per approfondire i temi legati al web e al suo sempre più ricco mondo: Google, Creative Commons, Social Networks, Open Source/Software libero, neutralità della rete, fiile sharing e molto altro.* Al centro di ogni incontro un ospite pronto a dialogare e confrontarsi sugli argomenti scelti per il dibattito e sugli ultimi fatti legati al web, con i Direttori di Nexa, il Prof. Juan Carlos De Martin del Politecnico di Torino (responsabile italiano del progetto Creative Commons) e il Prof. Marco Ricolfi dell'Università di Torino, lo staff e i /Fellows/ di Nexa e con tutti quanti vogliano intervenire proponendo quesiti e nuovi percorsi di indagine. *Il Centro di Ricerca NEXA su Internet e Società del Politecnico di Torino (Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica), **è** un centro di ricerca indipendente*/* */*che studia sotto diversi punti di vista le varie componenti di Internet, la "più grande invenzione del secolo" secondo il Premio Nobel Rita Levi Montalcini. * Per questo il Centro NEXA, che tra l'altro lavora in stretto collegamento col Berkman Center for Internet & Society della Harvard University, attraverso il lavoro di ingegneri, giuristi ed economisti, si sforza di gettare nuova luce sui complessi, e a volte dirompenti cambiamenti prodotti da Internet. *Con i suoi "mercoledì", il Centro NEXA intende creare nuove opportunità di divulgazione e di scambio di idee, aprendosi e comunicando non solo con il settore della ricerca, ma anche con pubbliche amministrazioni, imprese, associazioni e semplici cittadini.* Un modo per dialogare su Internet, un mondo che già da tanti anni influisce sulla nostra vita, e che ancor più lo farà negli anni a venire. *L'ingresso è libero ed è aperto a tutti gli interessati*. *Tutti gli incontri possono essere anche visti e ascoltati in streaming su www. nexa.polito.it/events.*

Oct. 8, 2009

(no subject)

by Mariella Berra

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14563636… interesting article. About the Lodo Alfano I would like remember what Wodrow Wilson said about the beautiful constitution :"It is harder to run a constitution than to write a new one "Saluti Mariella

Oct. 7, 2009

Re: [nexa] Bits of Freedom counterattacks

by Marcello Mustilli

Is there an English version? Marcello A FACE Philippe Aigrain ha scritto in data 05/10/2009 15.05: > After the announce by BUMA/Stemra (the music collective management societies > in the Netherlands) of a new on-line music rate to be charged for blogs who > embed music tracks (without distinction between commercial and non-commercial, > 630 € / track), Bits of Freedom has launched a great collective process for > elaborating a position paper in response : > http://www.co-ment.net/text/1639/ > > We got 250+ visitors per hour from the Netherlands, with revisions every few > minutes at some times. > > The mobilization was done through micro-blogging and Internet-related > collaborative media platforms. >

Oct. 7, 2009

QdN: "Memo: Debunking the Council's Arguments Against Amendment 138"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

FYI "Just before a new round of meetings between the negotiators of the Telecoms Package, La Quadrature du Net sent a letter to the Members of the European Parliament, as well as a 4 page memo debunking the Council of EU's arguments against amendment 138, which is an essential safeguard of citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms." URL: http://www.laquadrature.net/en/memo-amendment-138-debunking-the-councils-ar… juan carlos

Oct. 7, 2009

Nuova traduzione: "Il mondo sta andando verso il flat-rate" di Volker Grassmuck

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Il Centro NEXA su Internet e Società è lieto di presentare "Il mondo sta andando verso il flat-rate", ovvero, la traduzione italiana dell'importante lavoro di Volker Grassmuck apparso in lingua inglese nel maggio 2009, "The World is Going Flat(-Rate)". URL della traduzione: http://nexa.polito.it/world-going-flat-rate Si ringraziano i traduttori, Lorenzo Benussi e Irene Cassarino, fellow del Centro Nexa su Internet & Società, e tutti coloro che hanno contribuito all'opera. cordiali saluti, juan carlos de martin

Oct. 6, 2009

Bits of Freedom counterattacks

by Philippe Aigrain

After the announce by BUMA/Stemra (the music collective management societies in the Netherlands) of a new on-line music rate to be charged for blogs who embed music tracks (without distinction between commercial and non-commercial, 630 € / track), Bits of Freedom has launched a great collective process for elaborating a position paper in response : http://www.co-ment.net/text/1639/ We got 250+ visitors per hour from the Netherlands, with revisions every few minutes at some times. The mobilization was done through micro-blogging and Internet-related collaborative media platforms. -- Philippe Aigrain Sopinspace

Oct. 5, 2009

[Fwd: Digital rights: call to all citizens to fight back]

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Ricevo e volentieri condivido con voi. juan carlos -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Digital rights: call to all citizens to fight back Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 07:31:48 -0500 From: contacto(a)exgae.net To: director(a)nexa.polito.it "The battle for access to information and the Internet is the mother of all battles, the one that will allow us to keep going autonomously and creatively in crisis times, regardless of what the powers that be "organise" for their own interest..." /Zaphod Beeblebrox, Digital Thoughts/ *Because in times of crisis, the European Parliament is discussing how to take away one of the few remaining ways that allow citizens to get ahead -- open access to the Internet -- and to hand it over to the multinationals (this is not science fiction; it is happening now - follow the links below [1]); Because we must be able to benefit from spreading our works without middlemen; Because we are fed up with plundering by royalties management organisations; Because artists are being used as an excuse to restrict legal rights to expression and development; Because copying and sharing information is our right to culture, to knowledge and to communication, and they want to give it away to the entertainment industry (this isn't science fiction either -- the American Chamber of Commerce is pressuring worldwide for changes to the Intellectual Property Laws to prevent the right to copy and share information [2]); Because their business is not our culture; Because it is important for artists to be able to make a living from their work if they wish to; Because "greed breaks the sack" as we saw in this crisis that has shown us that we live in a system that expects us to protect the interests of banks and multinationals, in the hope that they might one day give us a job in exchange for the crumbs of their profits. The philosophy of free culture, inherited from the free software movement, is the best empirical proof that a new kind of ethics and a new kind of business are possible. It has already created an alternative production space that works, based on an artisan or trade model in which the author-producer doesn't lose control of his or her output and doesn't need the mediation of big monopolies. A kind of production that is committed to autonomous initiatives in solidarity with others, to sharing based on each person's abilities and opportunities, to the democratisation of knowledge, education and the means of production and to fair distribution of earnings based on work carried out. * And because actions speak louder than words, thousands of individuals and organisations, hundreds of artists, have joined forces... we welcome back in Barcelona, Spain... * * * The oXcars *29th of octobre 2009* *the biggest free culture event of all time http://oxcars09.exgae.net And, for the first time, we introduce *The International Free Culture Forum: ** Organisation and Action* 30th of octobre to 1st of novembre 2009* * which will put down in black and white the politics of the digital age as conceived by citizens, by you and by me (this is not science fiction!). http://fcforum.net/ This is an invitation extended to everybody, and an invitation extended to over 1000 institutions that legislate on our rights worldwide, an invitation to listen and to understand, because the way of life and development of citizens is at stake. On October 25 we will reveal how each and every one of them has responded. The oXcars and The Free Culture Forum are open to everybody. Come along, find out about absolutely everything and participate. This is unstoppable, we can only win. The civil society have its word to say on access to knowledge and culture in the digital age. Please, spread the info. *http://oxcars09.exgae.net/ http://fcforum.net/* "It was the same with the inquisition: digital progress is also unstoppable, the only issue is how many years of suffering, stagnation and obscurantism we will have to but up with before they admit that their interests are not the centre of the universe". /Cayce Pollard, Vogons Proverbs/ [By the way, this message is illegal en Europe. It is illegal to use quotations except for research and educational purposes. Quotes for information purposes are not permitted... And this is not science fiction]. *____________ Related material of interest:* *[1] *-- During the Free Culture Forum you will be able to collaborate, in the flesh, with the organisations that are lobbying the European Parliament exactly during these days in which the fearsome Telecoms Package is being debated. You can see what it's all about here: http://www.laquadrature.net/en/we-must-protect-net-neutrality-in-europe-ope… http://www.euopeninternet.eu Here is information about who is on the committee, how they have voted (from red to green, from more favourable to citizens to more favourable to multinationals), and who we have to lobby in each country (if you know some of them, talk to them; if you don't know them, ring them up. These links show you how): http://werebuild.eu/wiki/index.php/Operation_revelation http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Telecoms_Package-Conciliation_Committe-Par… What do we tell them?: to defend the original article 138, not the "soft" version. That is: no private entity can monitor your digital communication"prior ruling by the judicial authorities". Send to the Europarlementiers the following sentence (this action is carried out all over Europe): ""*Prior ruling by the judicial authorities*" is a condition of democracy. Don't restrict basic freedoms. Using internet access is now instrumental to basic freedoms. Defend the real Amendment 138". (Don't insult them if not they will spam you. Here their telephone and emails: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Telecoms_Package-Conciliation_Committe-Par…) *[2]* - EEUU Industry "anti-piracy" plans (Spain and Canadá are in the 3rd and 2nd position): http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/reports-and-publications/archives… _______________________ If you don't want to receive anymore information, please send us back this email with the word "delete" in the Content and apologise. -- If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, este enlace <http://conservas.tk/phplist/?p=unsubscribe&uid=223e077e752db9b6eb3f159e0a15…> To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit este enlace <http://conservas.tk/phplist/?p=preferences&uid=223e077e752db9b6eb3f159e0a15…> Forward a Message to Someone este enlace <http://conservas.tk/phplist/?p=forward&uid=223e077e752db9b6eb3f159e0a156e42…> Powered by PHPlist2.10.9, © tincan ltd <http://www.phplist.com>

Oct. 5, 2009