Date: Sun, 02 Apr 1995 23:58:23 +0200 From: Julian Howard Stacey <jhs@regent.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de> To: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.com> Cc: Christoph Kukulies <kuku@gilberto.physik.rwth-aachen.de>, rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com (Rodney W. Grimes), freebsd-hackers@freefall.cdrom.com (user alias) Subject: Re: The FreeBSD trademark. Message-ID: <199504022158.XAA27382@vector.eikon.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sun, 26 Mar 1995 13:21:04 %2B0200." <12499.796216864@freefall.cdrom.com>
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> From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.com>
> but since we'll be governed by US laws
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You may choose to be be governed by US Laws,
but do NOT include me in your choice !
USA law is of mere national significance to USA residents,
& of no utility to the rest of us, it provides no legal protection
for active FreeBSD individuals resident outside the USA.
Example:
Making an Incorporation in the USA will not protect active FreeBSD
individuals here in Germany, just as my Limited Company in England
does not really protect my professional activities for the company
here in Germany. (that being a simplified summary)
FreeBSD USA Inc. appears yet another imperialistic assumption
that is acceptable to dump a USA body on the world, exporting USA law
to dominate a global endeavour :-(
This usurps the rights, authority etc of the global FreeBSD community,
Let's at least test this with a Formal Ballot first.
Pre revolutionary Bostonians threw the English Tea in Boston harbour,
chanting `No Taxation Without Representation"
Today, I suggest:
"No Legislation Without Representation"
We non Americans can't vote for the US government, so
I do Not accept the exporting of USA laws beyond USA national boundaries.
I bet no USA based FreeBSD Inc. promoter bothered to enquire if we can
operate as some kind of multi national, perhaps as some sub sub
division of the United Nations, underneath CCITT, or ISO or some such ?
No one asked for info on how to set up a company elsewhere than the USA,
(I know how to for England & Wales, I bet others know for their countries).
Countries with restrictive technology policies are poor choices to be
the FreeBSD legal base. Thus we should exclude USA, France, Australia
('cos of encryption laws etc), & no Canada 'cos allied to US embargo policy.
The USA disrupts software projects that involve encryption, & has done so
for over 10 years. The USA government has disrupted FreeBSD with its laws.
The USA is constantly waging trade war rhetoric with it's partner nations,
& is now engaging vigorously in extending the enforcement of patent copyright
& other intellectual property right restrictions to progress.
While the USA continues to indulge in such disruptive antisocial action,
it is morally unfit to be the legal base for our `Free' endeavour.
By all means use a country which uses the language we mail in, but not the USA,
how about South Africa ? or New Zealand or Eire (Southern Ireland) or ... ?
Please do the job properly, if at all: either form FreeBSD as an
international organisation, or forget it !
I suggest you phone the East USA coast, talk to some people at the United
Nations, then get us under the CCITT or ISO or ... in some form,
perhaps listed as a `research in progress group', (thus avoiding the need
for us to worry about standards) Just Please do not try to impose this
FreeBSD USA Inc. on anyone outside the USA, we don't need Imperialism :-(
PS CCITT is ~ Committe' Consultativ International Telecommunications et
Telegraphie (an international body, part of the UN I believe, under
the ITU (International Telegraphy Union) as intermediary,
Address: international telecom union,place de nations,
CH-1211,Geneva 20,switzerland; Tel:+41 22 99 51 11
Telex (from Germany):005 421 000 uit ch
Julian Stacey a British citizen resident in Germany.
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