February 28th, 2012 IRC Meeting

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Agenda

1. March 10th Conference Status

2. H.2842

3. Anything else others want to bring up.

Quick Notes / Summaries Re Proposed Bills to be Discussed:

Draft Statement on H.2842

Thank you to chairpersons and members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary for providing us the opportunity to state our reasons for opposing H.2842.

H.2842 would hold liable any company which has a supplier that uses unlicensed software. Such a company would then face penalties including: 

   o monetary damages;
   o restrictions on the sale of its products; and 
   o potential seizure of its products.

We believe that this bill would place an enormous burden on Massachusetts companies as it would force them to audit all of their suppliers or face huge penalties and endless litigation.

During an already difficult time in our economy, H.2842 would make it even harder for Massachusetts companies to create jobs in Massachusetts.

The bill includes many provisions that are broad and undefined and we believe it will lead to unintended consequences and will discourage competition in Massachusetts.

Additionally, H.2842 will favor closed source software over open source software. The bill explicitly states that it cannot be used to defend against infringement of open source licenses. This provision would prevent an open source software manufacturer from suing a US software company when that company’s overseas partners violate the software manufacturer's GPL or other open source license. This law benefits closed source software, while disadvantaging open-source software, its chief competition.

We fully expect that this law will be used by close-source software manufacturers to extract money from innovative companies. We have seen this done repeatedly with patents. Patent trolls have used their patent portfolios to demand money from small iPhone application vendors ( http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/05/patent-troll-shakes-down-iphone-app-programmers.ars ). Even Microsoft has used its patent portfolio to force Google Android phone manufacturers to kick back money to it for each device sold ( http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/10/microsoft-collects-license-fees-on-50-of-android-devices-tells-google-to-wake-up.ars ).

The H.2842’s supporters maintain that it will prompt overseas companies to stop infringing on software produced in the United States. We do not find that assertion credible since it will be US companies that pay damages, not overseas companies.

Ultimately, this bill will hurt Massachusetts companies by forcing them to take defensive measures to protect themselves from the effects of H.2842, rather than innovating. It will advantage closed source source software over open source software and decrease competition in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Pirate Party urges the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to reject H.2842.

Attending

  • bsod - http://activepolitic.com:82/
  • jokeefe - James O'Keefe, Somerville
  • SplendidSpoon - Lauren Pespisa, Boxboro-Cambridge
  • erixoltan - Erik Zoltan, Framingham
  • JP - JP, lowell
  • davros-- - observer

Summary

1. Conference Status 

    o will only be from 9am-6pm due to doublebooking, but we got the site on May 12th for a film festival and talk by Jared Ball on his book I Mix What I Like
    o Jeanne has a poster design, should be done before this weekend
    o jokeefe posted schedule, no adjustments required from the participants
    o jokeefe emailed a bunch of people/groups with local radio shows
    o jokeefe emailed all the media contact he had and invited them to it. Looking for tech and arts reporters
    o SplendidSpoon will contact Quinn Norton of Wired
    o ars technica heard about the conference, wants an interview, will talk with them
    o erixoltan will bring a video camera.  German Pirates may be able to offer streaming in a box

2. Planned events: 

    o Conference in March
    o Extravaganja in April?
    o Film Festival in May
    o Pride in June
    o Art Beat in July
    o Pirate Picnic in July?
    o Freedom Rally in September

3. HO2842 Bill

We approved the statement. jokeefe will submit it.

Meeting Minutes

<nowiki>

[11:59] == davros-- [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has joined #masspirates [12:01] <jokeefe> hi [12:01] <jokeefe> waiting for others to show up [12:01] <davros--> Hi [12:02] <davros--> I just wanted to see what you guys are all about and get a feel for what's going on, ya know [12:03] <davros--> I follow on titter and like alot of the views and posts [12:03] == SplendidSpoon [~lpespisa@38.111.20.226] has joined #masspirates [12:04] <jokeefe> cool, davros-- [12:04] <jokeefe> hi SplendidSpoon [12:04] <SplendidSpoon> Hey [12:08] <jokeefe> pinging those around [12:10] == davros-- [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has quit [Quit: Bye] [12:10] == davros-| [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has joined #masspirates [12:10] == JP [183f564d@gateway/web/freenode/ip.24.63.86.77] has joined #masspirates [12:13] == davros-- [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has joined #masspirates [12:13] == davros-| [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has quit [Client Quit] [12:14] == erixoltan [5fd38b93@gateway/web/freenode/ip.95.211.139.147] has joined #masspirates [12:14] <erixoltan> Sorry I completely spaced! [12:14] <jokeefe> hi [12:14] <erixoltan> Erik Zoltan, Framingham [12:14] <jokeefe> no problem [12:14] <jokeefe> we really haven't started [12:14] <JP> JP, lowell [12:14] <jokeefe> but now we can [12:14] <SplendidSpoon> Lauren Pespisa, Boxboro-Cambridge (working) [12:14] <jokeefe> James O'Keefe, Somerville [12:15] <jokeefe> Agenda at http://masspirates.org/wiki/index.php?title=February_28th,_2012_IRC_Meeting [12:15] <jokeefe> 1. March 10th Conference Status [12:15] <jokeefe> Jeanne has a poster design [12:16] <jokeefe> Posted schedule, no adjustments required from the participants [12:16] <jokeefe> emailed a bunch of people/groups with local radio shows [12:17] <jokeefe> ars technica heard about the conference, wants an interview, will talk with them [12:17] <SplendidSpoon> w00t [12:18] <jokeefe> will only be from 9am-6pm due to doublebooking, but we got the site on May 12th for a film festival and talk by Jared Ball on his book I Mix What I Like [12:19] <jokeefe> should have the poster done before this weekend so we can put it up [12:19] <jokeefe> Also emailed all the media contact I had and invited them to it. [12:20] <jokeefe> Any suggestion for tech reporters to invite? [12:20] <SplendidSpoon> Hmm [12:20] <SplendidSpoon> Quinn Norton of Wired? [12:21] <jokeefe> is he in the area? [12:21] <jokeefe> also arts reporters [12:21] <SplendidSpoon> She is in NYC I believe but has come to Boston before [12:22] <SplendidSpoon> Don't know much about arts reporters... [12:22] <jokeefe> thanks for the correction on Quinn's gender [12:22] <SplendidSpoon> lol yea I've made that mistake before too [12:22] <jokeefe> anyone know the submission policy for boing boing? [12:22] <SplendidSpoon> She's done a lot on anonymous and done a good job, thats how I know her [12:23] <jokeefe> got her contact info? [12:23] <SplendidSpoon> If she did cover us, she'd really be on our side [12:23] <SplendidSpoon> No but I hang out in similar IRC rooms [12:23] <SplendidSpoon> that she's sometimes in [12:23] <SplendidSpoon> So I can try to talk to her then [12:23] <jokeefe> great. also have her twitter acct, so you if you could ping her that way, that would be great [12:24] <SplendidSpoon> She's actually in Boston right now, been invited for drinks with her and friends but kept having to do something else :( [12:24] <jokeefe> cool [12:25] <jokeefe> also put it in the boston phoenix listings, and have to get it out there more [12:25] <jokeefe> so things are moving along, just need to get more attention [12:25] <SplendidSpoon> Yes [12:26] <jokeefe> We have events scheduled at least every two months through September. [12:27] <jokeefe> Conference in March, Film Fesitval in May, Pride in June, Art Beat in July, Freedom Rally in September [12:28] <SplendidSpoon> w00t [12:28] <jokeefe> Also Pirate Picnic in July [12:28] <jokeefe> or so [12:28] <jokeefe> Would be good to have something in August and October [12:29] <jokeefe> Extravaganja is in April, though I haven't see any indication that it will happen or when in April [12:32] <jokeefe> 2. Statement on H.2842 [12:32] <jokeefe> posted a draft at http://masspirates.org/wiki/index.php?title=February_28th,_2012_IRC_Meeting [12:32] <jokeefe> what do folks think? any changes? [12:34] <SplendidSpoon> This is good [12:39] <jokeefe> any other comments? [12:41] <erixoltan> I already commented but I still like it. [12:41] <jokeefe> great, thanks. erixoltan and SplendidSpoon, national party IRC meeting tonight I believe. Connection details should be on the national party site. [12:42] <SplendidSpoon> cool [12:42] <erixoltan> hmm, do you have a link to those details? [12:42] <jokeefe> let me check [12:43] <jokeefe> http://us.pirate.is/archives/48 [12:43] <erixoltan> they have an Icelandic site lol [12:43] <jokeefe> yes [12:43] <erixoltan> Thanks I will make a calendar appt so I remember to star attending. [12:43] <jokeefe> wonderful [12:44] <jokeefe> so I'll go and submit the statement. then we can start asking supporters to call the members of the committee [12:46] <jokeefe> Anything else folks want us to discuss? [12:46] <erixoltan> I plan on bringing a camcorder to the conference and will record talks. [12:46] <jokeefe> great [12:46] <erixoltan> I want to create a masspirates channel on youtube. [12:47] <jokeefe> go for it [12:47] <erixoltan> SOmebody said something about having a good microphone - my camcord has a sound input but I don't have a mic. [12:47] <jokeefe> I have his info and will remind him [12:47] == davros-- [~davros-@103.sub-174-254-164.myvzw.com] has quit [Ping timeout: 260 seconds] [12:47] <erixoltan> Great. [12:48] <jokeefe> A contact at the German Pirate Party said there is a PirateStreaming group that could help us with setting up streaming [12:48] <jokeefe> I ask him to have them contact us [12:48] <jokeefe> Streaming in a box he said [12:48] <erixoltan> great [12:50] <jokeefe> that is all I have. Shall we adjourn? [12:52] <[bsod]> i think no answer means yes [12:53] <jokeefe> i guess so [12:54] <jokeefe> have a wonderful week folks!

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