From anirudhsbh at gmail.com Fri Aug 1 20:49:15 2008 From: anirudhsbh at gmail.com (Anirudh Bhati) Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 20:49:15 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] The Economist: Piracy- Look for the silver lining Message-ID: Source: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11750492&fsrc=RSS Piracy Look for the silver lining Jul 17th 2008 >From *The Economist* print edition Piracy is a bad thing. But sometimes companies can turn it to their advantage Illustration by Claudio Munoz "MERCHANT and pirate were for a long period one and the same person," wrote Friedrich Nietzsche. "Even today mercantile morality is really nothing but a refinement of piratical morality." Companies, of course, would strongly disagree with this suggestion. Piracy is generally bad for business. It can undermine sales of legitimate products, deprive a company of its valuable intellectual property and tarnish its brand. Commercial piracy may not be as horrific as the seaborne version off the Horn of Africa (see article). But stealing other people's R&D, artistic endeavour or even journalism is still theft. That principle is worth defending. Yet companies have to deal with the real world—and, despite the best efforts of recorded-music companies, luxury-goods firms and software-industry associations, piracy has proved very hard to stop. Given that a certain amount of stealing is going to happen anyway, some companies are turning it to their advantage. For example, around 20 times as many music tracks are exchanged over the internet on "peer to peer" file-sharing networks as are legitimately sold online or in shops. Statistics about the traffic on file-sharing networks can be useful. They can reveal, for example, the countries where a new singer is most popular, even before his album has been released there. Having initially been reluctant to be seen exploiting this information, record companies are now making use of it (see article). This month BigChampagne, the main music-data analyser, is extending its monitoring service to pirated video, too. Knowing which TV programmes are being most widely passed around online can help broadcasters when negotiating with advertisers or planning schedules. In other industries, piracy can help to open up new markets. Take software, for instance. Microsoft's Windows operating system is used on 90% of PCs in China, but most copies are pirated. Officially, the software giant has taken a firm line against piracy. But unofficially, it admits that tolerating piracy of its products has given it huge market share and will boost revenues in the long term, because users stick with Microsoft's products when they go legit. Clamping down too hard on pirates may also encourage people to switch to free, open-source alternatives. "It's easier for our software to compete with Linux when there's piracy than when there's not," Microsoft's chairman, Bill Gates, told *Fortune *magazine last year. Another example, from agriculture, shows how piracy can literally seed a new market. Farmers in Brazil wanted to use genetically modified (GM) soyabean seeds that had been engineered by Monsanto to be herbicide-tolerant. The government, under pressure from green groups opposed to GM technology, held back. Unable to obtain the GM seeds legitimately, the farmers turned to pirated versions, many of them "Maradona" seeds brought in from Argentina. Eventually the pirated seeds accounted for over a third of Brazil's soyabean plantings, and in 2005 the government relented and granted approval for the use of GM seeds. Monsanto could then start selling its seeds legitimately in Brazil. Innovators ahoy Piracy can also be a source of innovation, if someone takes a product and then modifies it in a popular way. In music unofficial remixes can boost sales of the original work. And in a recent book, "The Pirate's Dilemma", Matt Mason gives the example of Nigo, a Japanese designer who took Air Force 1 trainers made by Nike, removed the famous "swoosh" logo, applied his own designs and then sold the resulting shoes in limited editions at $300 a pair under his own label, A Bathing Ape. Instead of suing Nigo, Nike realised that he had spotted a gap in the market. It took a stake in his firm and also launched its own premium "remixes" of its trainers. Mr Mason argues that "the best way to profit from pirates is to copy them." That this silver lining exists should not obscure the cloud. Most of the time, companies will decide to combat piracy of their products by sending in the lawyers with all guns blazing. And most of the time that is the right thing to do. But before they rush into action companies should check to see if there is a way for them to turn piracy to their advantage. 2008 (c) The Economist -- Yours sincerely, Anirudh Singh Bhati Student of Law, Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, India. Handphone: +919328712208 Skype: anirudhsbh Web: http://democrazie.org If this email were legal advice, it would be followed by a bill. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080801/6f76ffc1/attachment-0001.html From siddharth.narrain at gmail.com Fri Aug 8 11:01:45 2008 From: siddharth.narrain at gmail.com (siddharth narrain) Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:01:45 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Invite: 11 Aug, Screening of Ajay TG films In-Reply-To: <52cddec0808072227g2cba8dc8j17869d554e7c14e4@mail.gmail.com> References: <9dcee9900808071127j70ef7f0epb8d44b200bf2b91@mail.gmail.com> <52cddec0808072227g2cba8dc8j17869d554e7c14e4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1773a06d0808072231i1bbcb60fo5e5ce89006ee49ba@mail.gmail.com> *Vikalp Bengaluru, Alternative Law Forum and pedestrian pictures* invite you to An evening of film screenings and discussion on the silencing of human rights defenders Ajay TG, an independent documentary filmmaker and freelance journalist, was unlawfully arrested on 5 May 2008 by the Chattisgarh police. We see the arrest as an attempt to silence Ajay and to break the courage of a man who has the right to show what he sees and tell what he feels. But we believe that Ajay TG has a right to make films. Ajay TG has the right to show his films and that we have the right to see his films. A year ago, Dr. Binayak Sen, another human rights defender, was similarly arrested in Chattisgarh. A series of short films made by Ajay TG including Anjam, Ajay's documentary on Dr. Binayak Sen, will be screened. The screenings will be followed by a presentation by Ramachandra Guha. The screenings are part of an All India campaign seeking the release of Ajay TG. www.releaseajaytg.in for more details. * ******************************************************************************************* * *Tea:* 5 – 5.30 pm *Film screenings:* 5.30 – 6.30 pm (details of films below) *Presentation and discussion:* 6.30 – 7.30 pm *Speaker: Ramachandra Guha* Ram will speak on the current situation in Chattisgarh and the people who are caught in the circle of violence between the Maoists and the State. Respondent:* *Arvind Narrain Arvind will talk on the threats to human rights defenders with laws such as the Chattisgarh Special Security Act and the Karnataka Control of Organized Crime Act. *Followed by discussion * *Screening:* *Anjam *(A documentary by Ajay TG on Binayak Sen) Venue: Centre for Films and Drama (CFD), 5th floor, Sona Towers, 71 Millers Road, Bangalore, Phone: 22356263 Date: 11 Aug, 2008 (Monday) For directions to the venue and more information, contact 98457 66808 or 98863 40000* * * ******************************************************************************************* * *Films:* *Hathaure Wala (Man with the Hammer)* 5mins 46sec / 1999 / English Version Directed by Ajay TG A portrait of an 80-year old lohar (blacksmith) who works in the shadow of the Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh. This is Ajay's first film and one from the first trio of films made at Jandarshan. *Jeet* 15mins 3sec / 2001 / Original Language Directed by Ajay TG A Jandarshan student film on malaria prevention made as a group exercise to arrive at a treatment for a pre-defined message. Ajay's dramatised treatment in which children take the initiative in dealing with a malaria outbreak was chosen. The script was a group effort. *Heads and Tales * 20 mins 54 sec / 2002 / English subititles Directed by Alpa Shah and Ajay TG A Jandarshan student film about the relationship between tradition and politics. *Parha Mela*, a festival in Jharkhand, was initiated to symbolize tribal unity and the tribal system of socio-political governance. From 1990 it became two separate events, held two kilometres away from one another on the same day, each supported by a politician of a different party. The film explores this dichotomy. *The Journey (Safar)* 15 mins 7 sec / 2001 / English subtitles Directed by Reeta Chandel and Ajay TG A Jandarshan student film about Reeta's father, a porter in the hospital of the Bhilai Steel Plant. This film is a development of Reeta's 5 minute film, *Papa Says*, shot by Ajay, as part of an earlier student exercise. *The Journey *was made because Ajay felt that they should explore questions about marriage and gender which had come up by chance during the shooting of the earlier film. *Anjam * 20 mins 41 sec / 2007-8/ English Directed by Ajay TG A documentary about Binayak Sen -- www.pedestrianpictures.org pedestrian pictures is a media activist organization working in Bangalore since 2001. -- Alternative Law Forum 122/4 Infantry Road Opposite Infantry Wedding House Bangalore 560001 Phone 22868757/22865757 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080808/d277553c/attachment-0001.html From the.solipsist at gmail.com Mon Aug 11 02:47:21 2008 From: the.solipsist at gmail.com (Pranesh Prakash) Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:47:21 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] MIT students (and MIT) in tort & CFAA trouble for researching exploit in RFIDs/magstrips crypto; argue First Amendment rights Message-ID: <4785f1e20808101417i44a5c95dod94357ae0218b278@mail.gmail.com> Judge zips MIT students lips on mass transit fare exploits By Jacqui Cheng | Published: August 10, 2008 - 03:42PM CT Back in the day, young hackers used easy exploits to trick phone companies into giving them free long distance calls. These days, they use easy exploits to trick mass transit systems into giving them free rides. Loopholes in fare card RFID chips and magnetic strips employed by many transit systems across the US are not unheard of, but three Massachusetts Institute of Technology students, along with MIT itself, have found themselves the subject of a lawsuit after researching the vulnerabilities. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) filed a lawsuit after the group planned to present their findings about an exploit in the MBTA system at DEFCON 16, and over the weekend, the three were ordered by a federal court judge to cancel their presentation. The three students, Zack Anderson, Russell Ryan, and Alessandro Chiesa, were scheduled to present their research at DEFCON under the title "The Anatomy of a Subway Hack: Breaking Crypto RFIDs & Magstripes of Ticketing Systems." The description for the presentation said that the group planned to go over weaknesses that are common in subway fare collection systems and physical security problems. They said that they would focus on the Boston T to explain how they reverse-engineered the magstripe and "completely broke" the RFID CharlieCard. "We will release several open source tools we wrote to perform these attacks. With live demos, we will demonstrate how we broke these systems," read the description. The MBTA was alarmed to catch wind of the talk and scheduled a meeting with the students along with MIT counsel. After the meeting, the students modified the descriptionof the talk to be a bit more indicative that it was more for research purposes than an "attack," although apparently the wording was not changed enough for the MBTA's tastes. In its complaint, the MBTA alleged that the students still focused on the MBTA and that they had not sent their presentation materials to the MBTA as requested. The organization worried that disclosure of the exploits in a public setting would "significantly compromise" the ticketing system and "harm the overall functioning of the MBTA's transit services." MIT was named as a defendant in the suit because of its involvement in helping and supervising the students on their project, and the complaint stopped just short of calling the university hypocritical for holding students and staff to a strict network security policy on campus while allowing them to "disregard these rules" when dealing with other systems like the MBTA's. "The defendants' actions and omissions have caused the MBTA to expend substantial funds to respond to the threat the defendants have posed," argued the MBTA. Sounds suspiciously like "security through obscurity." The MBTA charged the students and MIT with violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, trespass, and conversion, because they "exerted domination over the MBTA's property." Additionally, the MBTA said that the defendants "profited" by not paying transit fares, and that MIT provided negligent supervision on the students' work. The organization asked for injunctive relief barring the undergrads from offering their open source software to the public, providing information about how they performed the exploits, from publicly stating that the MBTA system was compromised, and from suggesting that MIT endorsed or approved of their activities, among other things. Unfortunately for MIT and the students, US District Judge Douglas Woodlock decided to side with the MBTA for the time being and issued a temporary restraining order over the weekend. As of August 9, the students were barred from providing information, code, or any other information that might assist anyone else in circumventing the transit pass system. The Electronic Frontier Foundation immediately condemned the decision, arguing that the judge violated the students' First Amendment rights to discuss their research. The EFF characterized the restraining order as an illegal prior restraint on legitimate academic research, and that the interpretation of the law was "blatantly unconstitutional, equating discussion in a public forum with computer intrusion." The EFF pointed out that squashing discussion won't stop attackers, and that it will merely prevent the public from putting pressure on companies to improve the security of their systems. One of the students, Zack Anderson, issued a statement through the EFF explaining that their talk would not have enabled attendees to exploit the system anyway. "We wanted to share our academic work with the security community and had planned to withhold a key detail of our results so that a malicious attacker could not use our research for fraudulent purposes," Anderson said in a statement. "We're disappointed that the court is preventing us from presenting our findings even with this safeguard." The EFF added that the case would be included as part of its Coders' Rights Project announced last week, and that it would represent the students in court in order to seek relief. Further reading: - If you have PACER access, look for case number 1:08-cv-11364-GAO - EFF: MIT Students Gagged by Federal Court Judge - Temporary restraining order(PDF) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080811/b21bf278/attachment.html From the.solipsist at gmail.com Mon Aug 11 07:05:34 2008 From: the.solipsist at gmail.com (Pranesh Prakash) Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:05:34 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] The Pirate Bay blocked in Italy Message-ID: <4785f1e20808101835q4042986fn4a039a2fcd2a6ae@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent site, has been blocked by (some/most ?) Italian ISPs. It seems it was an IP-based block. Thus, it can be circumvented quite easily. What normally happens is: 1. Comp requests http://thepiratebay.org 2. ISP's DNS server looks up the IP address for http://thepiratebay.org to answer query 3. ISP's DNS server resolves http://thepiratebay.org to be http://83.140.176.200 4. ISP serves http://83.140.176.200 Italian ISPs stepped in at stage 3, and blocked that IP address from being served. Thus, the way to resolve this would be to use some other DNS resolution server (instead of theISP's). OpenDNS provides such a service, with DNS servers 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 Italians can also continue to access TPB by using http://labaia.org/ ("La Baia" being "The Bay" in Italian.) http://thepiratebay.org/blog/123 http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/10/1934231 From siddharth.narrain at gmail.com Wed Aug 13 15:45:46 2008 From: siddharth.narrain at gmail.com (siddharth narrain) Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:45:46 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Discussion on Communal Violence Bill in Bangalore In-Reply-To: <52cddec0808130314n3f92f8bdxac7055bf2a8b1eac@mail.gmail.com> References: <2cc050780808122001m3cf38f34t709e42bc9a08cdd6@mail.gmail.com> <2cc050780808122008p34f6b536pd29d80a6a2c32ec8@mail.gmail.com> <52cddec0808130314n3f92f8bdxac7055bf2a8b1eac@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1773a06d0808130315j469e6d26tc8cd27aa14ffee3c@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Siddharth Narrain Date: Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 3:44 PM Subject: Discussion on Communal Violence Bill in Bangalore To: siddharth.narrain at gmail.com *DISCUSSION-MEETING ON COMMUNAL CRIMES BILL* Date & day:* 14 August 2008, Thursday *Time:* 4 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. * Venue:* *ALTERNATIVE LAW FORUM, 122/4 Infantry Road, Opp. Infantry Wedding House, Near Bus Stop – Shivajinagar Depot, Bangalore 560001 Phone: (080) 22865757 / 22868757 email: contact at altlawforum.org The demand for a law on communal violence emerged from a brutal record of recurring violence in our country, the increasing occurrence of gender-based crimes in communal attacks, and complete impunity for mass crimes. The reasons are many - lack of political will to prosecute perpetrators, state complicity in communal crimes, lack of impartial investigation and a lack of sensitivity to victims' experiences. But there is also, crucially, the glaring inadequacy of the law. Today, despite huge strides in international jurisprudence, India continues to lack an adequate domestic legal framework, which would allow survivors of communal violence to seek and to secure justice. The UPA government, in its National Common Minimum Programme issued in May 2004, promised to enact a comprehensive legislation on communal violence. While the country does need a strong law on communal violence, the Bill - named Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill 2005 - drafted by the government, is a dangerous piece of legislation that would strengthen the shield of protection enjoyed by the State, its political leaders and its officials for their acts of omission and commission in these crimes. After intensive pressure on the present government through delegations, public meetings, signature campaigns and a successful media campaign that reflected the civil society's lack support for the Bill, the government shelved its version of the Bill and asked for a new draft from members of the civil society who have been active on the issue. A new draft was submitted to the government on 24 January 2008, incorporating important international standards, new concepts and procedures that are absent in Indian law, in order to make accountability of perpetrators of communal violence a reality. The UPA government is determined to pass a law on the issue during its tenure, and hence the Bill is likely to be introduced in the Parliament shortly. The meeting is intended to - Disseminate information on the present status of this law and the contents of the new draft; - Build consensus and support among activists, women's groups and other human rights groups to extend solidarity to the issue; and - Discuss and share strategies for advocacy initiatives in future. This discussion-meeting is co-organized by Alternative Law Forum (ALF), South India Cell for Human Rights Education & Monitoring (SICHREM), PUCL–Karnataka and ICC-India campaign: an eight year old campaign addressing issues of impunity for mass crimes in India using standards set by the International Criminal Court. The discussion will be initiated by *Ms. Saumya Uma*, Advocate and Coordinator of ICC-India campaign, who has been closely involved with the advocacy initiatives on the Bill for the past four years. We look forward to your participation at this discussion. *Please note that the meeting will commence at 4 p.m. sharp. *Please email a line of confirmation of your participation to *arvind at altlawforum.org*. In solidarity, Arvind Narrain (Alternative Law Forum), Ramdas Rao (PUCL – Karnataka), R. Manohar (SICHREM) & Saumya Uma (ICC-India campaign) * * Date & day:* 14 August 2008, Thursday *Time:* 4 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. * Venue:* *ALTERNATIVE LAW FORUM, 122/4 Infantry Road, Opp. Infantry Wedding House, Near Bus Stop – Shivajinagar Depot, Bangalore 560001 Phone: (080) 22865757 / 22868757 email: contact at altlawforum.org - -- Alternative Law Forum 122/4 Infantry Road Opposite Infantry Wedding House Bangalore 560001 Phone 22868757/22865757 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080813/9ab01c8f/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: CRITIQUE OF CV BILL 2005.doc Type: application/msword Size: 56320 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080813/9ab01c8f/attachment-0009.doc From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Fri Aug 15 10:50:24 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:20:24 -0700 Subject: [Commons-Law] Fwd: [A2k] Slashdot | YouTube Yanks Free Tibet Video After IOC Pressure In-Reply-To: <1218556387.6792.2.camel@red.ubuntu> References: <1218556387.6792.2.camel@red.ubuntu> Message-ID: <908adbd0808142220sdbf0952jbf7e46f73c68fdaa@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: James Love Date: 2008/8/12 Subject: [A2k] Slashdot | YouTube Yanks Free Tibet Video After IOC Pressure To: a2k http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/12/1127220 "The International Olympic Committee filed a copyright infringement claim yesterday against YouTube for hosting video of a Free Tibet protest at the Chinese Consulate in Manhattan Thursday night. The video depicts demonstrators conducting a candlelight vigil and projecting a protest video onto the consulate building; the projection features recent footage of Tibetan monks being arrested and riffs on the Olympic logo of the five interlocking rings, turning them into handcuffs. YouTube dutifully yanked the video. . . _______________________________________________ A2k mailing list A2k at lists.essential.org http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/a2k From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Sat Aug 16 17:15:15 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:45:15 -0700 Subject: [Commons-Law] where is an intellectual property? Message-ID: <908adbd0808160445h32dfcdf1ge05858702a173421@mail.gmail.com> Hi, The Authority for Advanced Rulings on Income Tax in India has recently held that intellectual property (which is treated as a capital asset for IT purposes) is located everwhere it is used, so that when an Australian beer company (Fosters), which had licensed its brand to indian manufactures for use in India, tranferred its trademarks to a UK company, the transfer amount would be taxable as an income arising in India. " The situs of these intellectual property assets, in our view, should not be traced and confined only to the place where the contract (India S&P Agreement) was entered into and acted upon by the parties. On the relevant date of transfer, they were very much present in India and the transfer of such assets took place concurrent with the transfer of controlling interest in Foster's India to SAB Miller. At best, their location in Australia is only notional or fictional. The fact that the trade-marks and names originated in Australia and initially registered there does not make material difference." Decision at http://rulings.co.in/ruling/show_ruling/40.html Article by TCA Ramanujan at http://www.businessline.in/cgi-bin/print.pl?file=2008081650440900.htm&date=2008/08/16/&prd=bl& From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Mon Aug 18 15:27:47 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:57:47 -0700 Subject: [Commons-Law] ISO rejects appeals against Microsoft`s OOXML format Message-ID: <908adbd0808180257u25e908fbqa12ccf3b7d680807@mail.gmail.com> http://www.business-standard.com/india/printpage_sam.php?autono=331701 ISO rejects appeals against Microsoft`s OOXML format Leslie D`monte / Mumbai August 18, 2008, 5:58 IST Many setbacks and months of wrangling later, software behemoth Microsoft may have reason to breathe easy. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has rejected appeals from India, Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela, challenging its ratification of the Redmond giant's Office Open XML (OOXML) file format as an international standard. The move will pave the way for the final publication of OOXML as an international standard, and is expected to take place within the next few weeks on completion of final processing of the document, and subject to no further appeals against the decision. The ISO had given participating countries two months to appeal against its February decision to make OOXML an international standard. In response, four national standards body members — Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela — did so. There has never been a more intense global industry debate over open standards. On the one hand is Microsoft's OOXML file format backed by Apple, Novell, Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and Nasscom. On the other is the Open Document Format (ODF), supported by the likes of IBM, Sun Microsystems, Red Hat, Google, the Department of Information Technology (DIT), National Informatics Centre (NIC), CDAC, IIT-Mumbai and IIM-Ahmedabad. India recently maintained its earlier stance of "No" to the software major's OOXML. Represented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India had said no to OOXML last September too. ODF proponents oppose OOXML on the grounds that "multiple standards" are not good, while Microsoft argues that OOXML — a recognised standard by ECMA International already — is a response to evolving technology formats in line with continual evolving technology systems. The debate appears to be a proxy for product competition in the marketplace, note analysts. It is significant in part because it will influence the future success of Microsoft Office — one of Microsoft's largest and most profitable product families. ISO approval also means government business for Microsoft since governments worldwide, including India, prefer standards that are ratified by bodies such as the ISO. Governments are wary of holding digital data in proprietary formats, which could make them hostage to a software vendor. States such as Delhi, Kerala and others from the North-East are heavy adopters of ODF file formats which are open and free (excluding maintenance and support). Non-governmental and legacy Microsoft Office users, on the other hand, are unlikely to bother about which file formats their office applications use, given that Microsoft Office still has a 90 per cent market share in most countries. An independent study by Burton Group, the research and consulting firm, indicated two months ago that although moving to OOXML file formats involves some administrative challenges, the opportunities for improved content management and productivity outweigh the short-term inconvenience of migrating from binary file formats. Office 2007 enables people to choose from many formats, and now the Open XML Translator has enabled read and write capabilities for ODF as well. However, the angst is more about the older Office formats and OOXML, for which Microsoft maintains that it has developed a compatibility pack. For many organisations, the most significant value of ODF-based alternatives to Microsoft Office may be in establishing a viable option that provides opportunities to negotiate more favourable pricing/licensing agreements with Microsoft. From venkyh at gmail.com Wed Aug 20 11:16:33 2008 From: venkyh at gmail.com (Venkatesh Hariharan) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:16:33 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Patents are not neccessary for innovation Message-ID: <3f400ec0808192246wacd381fo3d7fca4d9e61c9da@mail.gmail.com> This article of mine appeared in Financial Expressin the Face2Face secion where they carry debates. The rejoinder to my article was titled, "They offer valuable property protection", but like most rhetoric on this subject, the author paints broad brushstrokes while offering very little proof of the link between patents and innovation. Some statements are misleading and I have written a comment at the end of this article in the online edition of Financial Express. My article is reproduced in full below. Venky Patents are not neccessary for innovation The objective of the patent system is to encourage innovation. Therefore, the question is whether patents are essential to promote innovation in the software industry? The fact is that most of the far-reaching innovations in the software industry happened well before software patents became common. Word processors, spreadsheets, databases, compilers, email, the world wide web, the fundamentals of modern operating systems, the graphical user interface were all developed before software became a patentable commodity in some countries. Another example of innovation is the Linux operating system, which runs on almost everything, from the Mars Rover, to giant supercomputers to the tiniest embedded computers. This innovation has been powered by the open source model, based on collaboration, community and the shared ownership of knowledge. Thousands of volunteers and private enterprises like Red Hat, IBM and others have contributed source code to Linux under the general public license (GPL) that gives users the freedom to modify the source code and share the resulting improvements with others. It is estimated that the Linux kernel now has around 10 million lines of source code (the instructions that make a software program work). The commercial value of the source code in an average Linux distribution is estimated at around $8 billion. This represents an enormous wealth of knowledge that is freely available to everyone. The success of open source is clear proof that patents are not necessary for innovation in the software industry and that profit motives are not the only spur for innovation. Having established that, let us now look at the negative impact of software patents. To do that, we need to take a slight detour into the copyright law. Any person or organisation writing software automatically enjoys protection under the copyright law. If anybody steals source code, they are liable for prosecution under the copyright laws. However, if anybody wrote source code that ends up being similar to another person's, they can defend themselves by proving that they wrote the code independently. If software patents are allowed, this 'independent invention' argument cannot be used as a legal defense. This is because the first person that obtains the patent then has exclusive rights over the idea. While copyright protects the expression of an idea, a patent is a state granted monopoly on the idea itself. We feel that copyrights are sufficient to protect software, while patents are a treacherous landmine that will increase litigation and hinder innovation in a rapidly growing industry. It is estimated that around 2,00,000 software patents have been granted in the US and the task of sifting through these patents is so difficult that most companies don't even attempt this task. The language of software patents is so complex that only the most masochistic software developer would spend their time reading patents. In online shopping alone, there are more than 4,000 patents. This leaves both developers and web portals and any company that implements online shopping liable for infringement. India gave the world the profound concept of zero and the decimal system, which forms the foundation of the digital revolution. Imagine what would have happened to the IT industry if India owned the patents for these ideas! Our knowledge traditions have always held that knowledge grows by sharing and diminishes when it is held secret. Therefore, it is distressing to see our policies being cut and paste from other societies that treat knowledge as something that can be commoditised. If we want a renaissance of the great knowledge traditions of India, we must stop aping the developed economies and their thought processes. Nixing software patents in the bud would be a pretty good start. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080820/f5585c02/attachment.html From mitoo at sarai.net Wed Aug 20 13:34:00 2008 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:34:00 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Positions Available Message-ID: <48ABCFF0.7010606@sarai.net> *POSTITIONS AVAILABLE * The Cultural and Material life of Media Piracy is a three year project carried out by the Sarai programme of the CSDS in collaboration with the Alternative Law Forum Bangalore. We begin with the premise that piracy is widespread in places where a media-saturated modernity meets severe inequalities of purchasing power for books, software, recordings, videos and other knowledge products. One of the key aims of this research project will be to understand this media environment as it unfolds itself in diverse contexts. The main research node is in India with comparative work in China and Pakistan. The Sarai-ALF teams of researchers work in tandem with an international project on media piracy with fellow researchers in Brazil, South Africa and Russia. The larger study is coordinated by the SSRC (New York). The project seeks to open different debates on piracy other than simply that of enforcement and criminality. Through research, we hope to generate discussions of cultural needs, community practices of sharing and circulation in societies of high inequality. We will also look at media industry approaches to piracy and enforcement strategies. In addition, there will be ethnographic and quantitative work on media use in neighbourhoods. The study of piracy offers a unique vantage point to study the media environment, through the sites of media and its movement across limits set by law, the complexity of user-bases, and the diversity of cultural delivery platforms. We are looking for bright, energetic and qualified researchers who can work in collaboration with a regional and international team. Applicants must demonstrate abilities to research and write on the subject. A familiarity with the debate on piracy and the creative commons is preferable. *Social science and Humanities applicants should have completed post graduate degrees and law students- a four year programme. * *Researcher One: Delhi* The researcher will be looking at fieldwork material on media piracy in the Sarai archive, as well as conduct neighbourhood surveys slate to begin in 2009. Work will include research papers presentations and collaborative work with the team. *Researcher Two: Mumbai* The researcher will be looking at the range of piracy strategies pursued by media industries in the film and music sectors. Research will span the larger media companies as well as the smaller companies. Work will include research papers presentations and collaborative work with the team. Applicants from outside Mumbai are also welcome to apply for this position, although Mumbai based work will be significant. Remuneration will be *Rs 28000/ a month.* Interested applicants may send their *CV* and a written research sample to *researchjobs at sarai.net* by *September 20, 2008*. *Applications without a written research sample will not be entertained.* Links SSRC piracy project: http://programs.ssrc.org/ccit/ip/ Sarai, CSDS : http://www.sarai.net/research/knowledge-culture/knowledge-and-culture ALF: www.altlawforum.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080820/eb2fdc48/attachment-0001.html From b_a_r_u_k at yahoo.com Wed Aug 20 17:46:20 2008 From: b_a_r_u_k at yahoo.com (Baruk S. Jacob) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:16:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Commons-Law] YouTube Yanks Free Tibet Video In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <259486.58269.qm@web54204.mail.re2.yahoo.com> > "The International Olympic Committee filed a copyright > infringement claim yesterday against YouTube for hosting video of a Free > Tibet protest at the Chinese Consulate in Manhattan Thursday > night. ~am curious-what part of the video did IOC find an infringement of copyright? is it the olympic logo? ~baruk http://bottlebroke.blogspot.com From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Thu Aug 21 01:29:32 2008 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:29:32 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Bengalureans to come out with candles against monopolising knowledge In-Reply-To: <35f96d470808201257v7b5d04a1i30ed61bf4de39bdd@mail.gmail.com> References: <35f96d470808201255x13fa257aldaf2046f7392a37d@mail.gmail.com> <35f96d470808201256q441941f4r18777c9f81daceab@mail.gmail.com> <35f96d470808201257v7b5d04a1i30ed61bf4de39bdd@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <35f96d470808201259p33f9ccf5t8718eca529918775@mail.gmail.com> Free Software User Group Bangalore is organising candle light vigil to say no to software patents on 23rd Saturday. Software patents are rejected by Indian Parliament in 2005 (Patent Amendment bill 2005). But Indian Government is now trying to push it through back door by bringing a Patent manual. Public consultations on this draft manual is going on in various metros in India. Bangalore Consultation is scheduled for the last week of August. The Candle light vigil to "Say No To Software Patents" is a occasion to raise civil society voice against this back door trojan to Indian patent system. Software Patents kills innovation & competition. Patents turn software publishing into the privilege of a few. Software is a key technology that is important to every company, every public administration, and every household. Therefore, everything that makes the software industry ill has effects on the entire organism, on all aspects of the economy and society. More details here http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Say_No_To_Software_Patents#Candle_Light_Vigil Invite your facebook friends at http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=27662916862 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1022228 Anivar From kavitaphilip at gmail.com Thu Aug 21 10:52:42 2008 From: kavitaphilip at gmail.com (kavita philip) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:22:42 -0700 Subject: [Commons-Law] 2008 Digital Media and Learning Competition References: Message-ID: <076C76B1-5977-4854-8654-B7F82529E392@gmail.com> >> >> ---PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY--- >> >> Focus: Participatory Learning >> Application Deadline: October 15, 2008 >> Full information at: www.dmlcompetition.net >> >> >> Application Deadline: October 15, 2008 >> >> >> >> The second HASTAC/MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition >> is now open! The focus is participatory learning. >> >> Awards will be made in two categories: >> >> Innovation in Participatory Learning Awards support large-scale >> digital learning projects >> $30,000-$250,000 >> >> Young Innovator Awards are targeted at 18-25 year olds >> $5,000-$30,000 >> >> Full information at: www.dmlcompetition.net >> >>   >> >> >> -- >> Mandy Dailey >> Program Coordinator >> Digital Media and Learning Competition, HASTAC >> Duke University >> 128 Franklin Center, Box 90403 >> Durham, NC 27708-0403 >> Phone: (919) 681-8897 >> Fax: (919) 684-8749 >> www.hastac.org >> www.dmlcompetition.net >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080820/35f8e5e5/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: mime-attachment.gif Type: image/gif Size: 2934 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080820/35f8e5e5/attachment.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: mime-attachment.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1342 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080820/35f8e5e5/attachment-0001.gif From venkyh at gmail.com Thu Aug 21 16:54:58 2008 From: venkyh at gmail.com (Venkatesh Hariharan) Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:54:58 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Software Patents Meeting in Bangalore on 27th August 2008 Message-ID: <3f400ec0808210424w685c3e62jd4b5a9d508c6ed5a@mail.gmail.com> The Indian Patent Office is organizing a Stakeholders Meeting on Draft Patent Manual in Bangalore. Since the issue of software patents generated a lot of debate, the ministry officials decided to call for a separate meeting focussed only on software patents. The date for this seems to have been set for: http://www.ipindia.nic.in/whats_new/stateholders_meeting_Delhi_24July2008.pdf By way of caution, let me point out that the Calcutta meeting was postponed. Red Hat's comments on the Manual is at: http://ipindia.nic.in/ipr/patent/Patent_Manual_Feedback/REDHAT_INDIA_PVT._LTD._NEW_DELHI.pdf When we were battling the Patent Amendment Act 2005, I had requested Lawrence Liang of the Alternative Law Forumto put together a note on why software patents are harmful. Virtually overnight, Liang and his team at Alternative Law Forum put together a position paper on software patents and their impact on the Indian industry. This is a highly recommended read for those interested in this issue. http://www.sarai.net/research/knowledge-culture/critical-public-legal-resources/whysoftwarepatentsareharmful.pdf Those interested in reading the Full text of Section 3(k) relating to software patents can check: http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/full-text-of-section-3k-relating-to.html The full Draft Patent Manual is at: http://ipindia.nic.in/ipr/patent/DraftPatent_Manual_2008.pdf The FOSS community believes that copyrights are good enough to protect software and that software patents prevent independent innovation. For a short article on this, read, PATENTS ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR INNOVATION Venky -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080821/15142cda/attachment.html From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Fri Aug 22 14:28:37 2008 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:28:37 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Bangaloreans Say No to Software Patents Message-ID: <35f96d470808220158w723ffe43s425d536dbe6018e5@mail.gmail.com> Bangaloreans Say No to Software Patents http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Say_No_To_Software_Patents/PressRelease On 23rd August, 2008, a group of Bangaloreans is to gather outside Town Hall to protest software Patents under the aegis of Free Software Users Group, Bangalore at 5.30 PM. This protest comes in the wake of attempts by the Indian Patent Office to push software patents, despite the same having been rejected categorically by the Parliament of India in March, 2005. At that time a particular lobby had tried pushing Patents for Software through a Presidential Ordinance. This having fallen through, software patents are now being pushed through the back door in the form of a manual ostensibly to help people file patents. While the draft in circulation glosses over the fact that software is not patentable in law, it instructs people that software patents can be filed in combination with hardware. The manual is trying to permit something that is explicitly forbidden by the Indian Patent Act, 2005. Further, it is amusing the way the manual tries to get around the legal obstacle posed by the Patents Act, by positing a category of "software in combination with hardware" . It leads one to wonder whether software can exist independent of hardware In this regard, former Supreme Court Judge, Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer has commented that "neither the controller nor the central government has authority or sanction of law to publish a manual of the kind put on the website". The Free Software Users Group also would like to point out that software is a form of knowledge and software patents would amount to propertisation of knowledge and would be detrimental to the pace at which software is growing. Software patents further kill innovation and competition and turn software publishing into the privilege of a few. As software today pervades all walks of life, any dent in the pace of its growth would have a cascading effect on the economy in general. The Free Software Users Group also would like to point out to the lobby that is trying to push for software patents through the back door that; * Software is already protected under copyright law, and no additional protection either to individuals or industries is required * Hardware innovations are already patentable under the regular innovations; therefore all innovators are already covered * The current ICT revolution happened with science and technology under public domain and it is important for the growth of software that this remains so. For Free Software users Group Bangalore 1. Anivar Aravind +92 9449009908 /080 23435606 2. Praveen A +91 9986348565 3. Renuka Prasad +91 9901945674 4. Vikram vincent +91 9448810822 PDF Version: http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Bangaloreans_Say_No_to_Software_Patents.pdf Event Posters http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Say_No_To_Software_Patents#Candle_Light_Vigil Digg it http://digg.com/tech_news/Bangaloreans_Say_No_to_Software_Patents Vote for it : http://www.fsdaily.com/Community/Bangaloreans_Say_No_to_Software_Patents -- Anivar From patrice at xs4all.nl Sat Aug 23 12:01:42 2008 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:31:42 +0200 Subject: [Commons-Law] Download illegally - go to jail. Download legally - go to jail too! Message-ID: <20080823063142.GA54147@xs4all.nl> Dutch court makes legal status of downloading music even more convoluted. (translation from an article in the NRC-Handelsblad daily, Friday august 22, 2008.) Want to listen to Coldplay through the '3voor12' (3to12) website? That's OK, as VPRO (a Dutch broadcasting association) has cleared the rights with the national authorsrights body Buma. But only in the Netherlands! Accessing the same website from Germany is illegal: the license doesn't cross the border. This at least is what a court in Haarlem ruled this week. The judge decided that Buma was not allowed to license the access to online music outside the Netherlands. A fast track court case had been brought forward by the British Performing Right Society (PRS) against Buma. They demanded Buma be prevented from granting licenses to their own repository, eg songs by Coldplay, if the sites could be accessed from outside the Netherlands. The outcome of this ruling might be that owners of music websites must now apply to each and every national authors rights agency for permission to make songs available. (A fine mess indeed...) From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Sun Aug 24 14:55:01 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:55:01 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Olympics telecast: Prasar Bharati goes to court Message-ID: <908adbd0808240225w5539caa3p4452886fc747122e@mail.gmail.com> http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/352318.html Olympics telecast: Prasar Bharati goes to court Krishnadas Rajagopal Posted online: Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 0059 hrs IST New Delhi, August 22 A complaint from Prasar Bharati against private TV channels for "encroaching" on exclusive broadcast rights to the Beijing Olympics 2008 saw the Delhi High Court stepping in to restore order. The public broadcaster's challenge in the High Court has found many of the channels on the backfoot with at least six of the 13 media houses sued going on to assure Justice Reva Khetrapal on Thursday to "deal fairly" with the Doordarshan footages of the Olympic events. The public broadcaster alleged that "commercial exploitation" by private media has put to risk its $3 million-worth purchase of exclusive television and radio rights of the Olympic Games. "Due to wrong, illegal acts and infringement of our exclusive rights by the 13 TV channels, Doordarshan, which paid huge amount of Rs 13 crore, besides operational costs for purchase of licence has suffered huge damages not only in terms of money but skill too," said Doordarshan which moved the High Court on an urgent basis, citing that the Games is drawing to a close on August 24. The channel lawyers on August 21 submitted before Justice Khetrapal that "they will not telecast the footage of the Olympic events except insofar as the telecast is consistent with fair dealing". "Fair dealing means reasonable usage of Olympic footage for the purpose of news bulletins alone," explained Prathipa Singh, one of the counsel for the private channels. "The defendants (media houses) have been found not only using the footage of the Olympic events from Doordarshan, but also making undue gains and profits by selling of commercials and advertisement space and time before, after and even during the broadcast of such footage," contended Bharati. The broadcaster has tentatively ascertained its damages so far at Rs 25 lakh. Doordarshan had sought an order for permanent injunction against 13 TV channels, the International Olympic Committee and the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union entity from which Doordarshan had bought the exclusive rights on April 27, 2007. "In fact some of the channels have used to an extent of over 17,000 seconds a day, even others are not far behind," the public broadcaster said. "Doordarshan's footage were repeated by the defendants throughout the whole day, time and time again, and not limited to once in a while as a news item," it added. From harshalau.enjay at gmail.com Tue Aug 26 15:37:05 2008 From: harshalau.enjay at gmail.com (harshalau.enjay at gmail.com) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:37:05 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Linux Administration Course - Next Batch Message-ID: Linux Administration Course - Next Batch -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080826/9ef52bd3/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 160330 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080826/9ef52bd3/attachment-0001.jpe From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Tue Aug 26 18:26:26 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:26:26 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] DPS MMS scandal: SC stays proceedings against eBay, its chief Message-ID: <908adbd0808260556k2d9a26fas3de85eb5dcb2de0e@mail.gmail.com> http://www.business-standard.com/india/printpage_sam.php?autono=332573 DPS MMS scandal: SC stays proceedings against eBay, its chief Press Trust Of India / New Delhi August 26, 2008, 0:40 IST The Supreme Court today stayed the proceedings against auction portal eBay India Pvt Ltd and its chief Avinash Bajaj for allegedly permitting sale of an MMS clip showing two school students from a Delhi school indulging in a sexual act. A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir, while issuing notice to the Delhi government, stayed the proceedings under Sections 67 and 85 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. While Section 67 bans publishing obscene information in electronic form, Section 85 allows the prosecution of a person responsible for the business of a company over violations. Bajaj, the then managing director of baazee.com (now Ebay India Pvt Ltd), was arraigned for allowing the MMS clip, recorded on a mobile phone camera, to be uploaded on the company's auction site in 2004. Bajaj, a US citizen, had subsequently sold baazee.com to eBay in 2004. Challenging the Delhi High Court judgment that quashed proceedings under the India Penal Code on May 29 but permitted prosecution under the I-T Act, Bajaj contended that mere listing could not be construed as a crime under the act. Bajaj in his petition stated that Section 67 of the Act does not define the term obscenity and thus liability cannot be fixed on him for merely listing of the 2.37-minute video clip even if it was obscene. "Even assuming that the video clip is obscene, mere 'listing' cannot be obscene for the purpose of Section 67 of the Act merely because the video clip may be obscene," he said while seeking quashing of all the proceedings against him. From prashantiyengar at gmail.com Wed Aug 27 09:34:07 2008 From: prashantiyengar at gmail.com (Prashant Iyengar) Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:34:07 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] Fwd: DPS MMS scandal: SC stays proceedings against eBay, its chief In-Reply-To: <4c08f9c00808261626i51b69bccl8b3dd17159468f3d@mail.gmail.com> References: <908adbd0808260556k2d9a26fas3de85eb5dcb2de0e@mail.gmail.com> <4c08f9c00808261626i51b69bccl8b3dd17159468f3d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <908adbd0808262104r986d3erf56f7b04d9206ca9@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Apar Gupta Date: 2008/8/27 Subject: Re: [Commons-Law] DPS MMS scandal: SC stays proceedings against eBay, its chief To: Prashant Iyengar attached text of the Delhi HC Decision in Baazee... I thought it would be useful to you On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 8:56 AM, Prashant Iyengar wrote: > http://www.business-standard.com/india/printpage_sam.php?autono=332573 > > DPS MMS scandal: SC stays proceedings against eBay, its chief > Press Trust Of India / New Delhi August 26, 2008, 0:40 IST > > The Supreme Court today stayed the proceedings against auction portal > eBay India Pvt Ltd and its chief Avinash Bajaj for allegedly > permitting sale of an MMS clip showing two school students from a > Delhi school indulging in a sexual act. > > A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir, while issuing notice to the > Delhi government, stayed the proceedings under Sections 67 and 85 of > the Information Technology Act, 2000. > > While Section 67 bans publishing obscene information in electronic > form, Section 85 allows the prosecution of a person responsible for > the business of a company over violations. > > Bajaj, the then managing director of baazee.com (now Ebay India Pvt > Ltd), was arraigned for allowing the MMS clip, recorded on a mobile > phone camera, to be uploaded on the company's auction site in 2004. > Bajaj, a US citizen, had subsequently sold baazee.com to eBay in 2004. > > Challenging the Delhi High Court judgment that quashed proceedings > under the India Penal Code on May 29 but permitted prosecution under > the I-T Act, Bajaj contended that mere listing could not be construed > as a crime under the act. > > Bajaj in his petition stated that Section 67 of the Act does not > define the term obscenity and thus liability cannot be fixed on him > for merely listing of the 2.37-minute video clip even if it was > obscene. "Even assuming that the video clip is obscene, mere 'listing' > cannot be obscene for the purpose of Section 67 of the Act merely > because the video clip may be obscene," he said while seeking quashing > of all the proceedings against him. > _______________________________________________ > commons-law mailing list > commons-law at sarai.net > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/commons-law > - -- Best Apar -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Baazee.doc Type: application/msword Size: 171008 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080827/78cbf2dd/attachment-0001.doc From jeebesh at sarai.net Wed Aug 27 16:04:20 2008 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:04:20 +0530 Subject: [Commons-Law] =?iso-8859-1?q?On_Piratbyr=E5n?= Message-ID: <9ECC6CB0-03BE-4B94-8C65-C7B12FF4C6CF@sarai.net> Victor Misiano: The institutionalization of friendship (S23M remix) There would be no communities if there were no events, jointly lived through from the beginning to the end, which lose the possibility of existing in each of us. Maurice Blanchot “La communauté inavouable” Sociology shows us that the only type of a social link not determined by some regional or family relationship, professional cooperation, ideological solidarity, or erotic attraxtion, is friendship. The aim of this text is to develop a theory of the relationship between the people around Piratbyrån as a history of friendship, while S23M (and some other projects) is nothing but a conscious attempt to launch a friendship formation project. As one of the S23M discussion participants said: “recent internet history is the history of friendships”. A story of meetings. People in love feel the necessity of being together; colleagues are linked to each other by the production conveyer, and comrades-in-arms are connected by ideological discipline (like Piratbyrån when taking the shape of a lobby organization.) The specific character of friendship as a form of social relationship is that it does not presume a permanent interaction. Friendships are a type of serial solidarity. The story of friendship is a story of meetings. The story of the kopimist community starts in 2003 when, in the framework of the #discobbedienti chat room, the Piratbyrån website was established. It was the legendary epoch after the collapse of the IT bubble, and as always, when anold system of relations comes apart, new contacts — and therefore new friends — emerged. It was during the discussions initiated by Piratbyrån, that these kopimists started to perceive themselves as a new generation, as an integrated body. Friendship is always a discovery: discovery of the Other and at the same time of the Self. S23M is the next stage in the life of the Piratbyrån community, after the euphoria of discovering each other (and discovering internet freedom), and after the shock of the conflict with the outside world (the attacks against The Pirate Bay). At such a stage internal contradictions are inevitable exposed. Self-reflection and doubts starts to appear. One has doubts about one’s self, and about the Other. Crisis is always a moment when you need somebody else, when the solidity of a friendship is tested. Thus, is 2007, the Indian kopimists of the Raqs Collective invited Piratbyrån to Italy. The confidential project. The friendship between the kopimists around Piratbyrån is not only a story of relationships between people. Very soon, if not at once, the kopimists started to percieve friendship as a strategic value, having the value of a project with an artistic character. The Walpurgis ritual, Oil of the 21st century, 0wnage — all these projects had one common feature: they employed the resources of friendly relationships as part of the program. These projects may be called confidential projects. The strategy employed in the framework of these projects can be called the institutionalization of friendship. The structure of the confidential project. The main feature is that the human aspect dominates the professional. Because friendship is not creative cooperation, but the “ethical form of Eros”. The confidential project excludes the possibility of a representative selection of participants. The choice is immanent in relation to the friendships. Friendship is a product of choice, although this is the only case of unmotivated social choice. Friendship is a choice within yourself. That’s why the usual curator’s routine — such as gender, national, generational, and regional balance — is impossible in such a project. The confidential project is equally indifferent to external representation: to the artifact and to spectacular effects. The substance of S23M is the concealed emotional, psychic, and intellectual experience, which cannot be exhibited or shown. The main issue lies in the internal, not external, communication. Friendship does not require a promotion. It cannot be for others, only for yourself. The secret essence of confidential projects is that such projects can generally ignore the public. Friendly communication cannot be maintained on-stage. The confidential project is also characterized by a freedom from hierarchy and functional specialiation. Friendship is not a hierarchical form of social relationship: it presumes a complete equality between all parties. Friendship does not know the Father. That’s why theconfidential project tries to ignore the role of the curator as power-source, which is inevitable in traditional exhibitions. Even if the function of the curator as an ideologue or manager is preserved, it should be carries out in such a way that it should create a regime of collective responsibility for every moment in the project, and for the ultimate result. There can be no successful or unsuccessful project in friendship. There can only be disappointment. The most evident feature of the confidential project is the absence of any thematic program. Such projects do not serve the reigning discourses and intellectual fashions. Slogans like “Eyeball the media” demonstrate the absence of any discoursive, thematic, or investigative pre-condition. they simply refer to the event of communication and its context. Is it possible for friendly communication to have a theme? The value of friendly communication is the very event of communication. The theme emerges spontaneously out of the communication itself. The discourse is crystallized in the process of its formation. That’s why the most adequate manner of documenting such a project is a detailed description of the process. Concrete work and concrete photos cannot describe the entire experience. Such a project is valuable as lived experience. Finally, the confidential project is not a Platonic dialogue, not an intellectual laboratory, and not a scientific workshop or panel discussion. Participants in confidential communities are not searching for truth. Nobody is trying to argue against something or convert somebody to his own beliefs. Confidence is the condition of friendly communication. The truth precedes it — it does not emerge in discussion. A friend does not give you good advice, but helps you find your own truth. That’s the way friendship differes from professional cooperation. In the latter, an individual builds a complicated balance of relationships between the Self and the Other. It also differs from love, which presumes self-denial. Lovers see themselves through the eyes of the Other. In friendship, we perceive our ideal self in the way we are perceived by the Other. That’s why the S23M participants can be found declaring their own ideas without making any effort to start moving towards each other. The confidential project as a project of the transitional epoch. It’s clear that the structure of the confidential project is nothing but an attempt to create a strucutre for a collective artistic practice in the situation of the absence of an art system. Thus, the confidential project and the community around Piratbyrån (let’s call it theconfidential community) is exactly the type of transitional society characteristic for a time of digitalization. In an institutional, ideological, and moral vacuum, friendship becomes the last shelter for culture. The direct result of the institutional and symbolic collapse in digitalization is the crisis of any objective justification for artistic practice. The old aesthetic ideology not only provided an objective foundation for official art, it also gave birth to an alternative. Avoiding official institutions and taking root in the sphere of the everyday, this alternative culture was also controlled by strict ideological principles. Acting as an opposition to the official institutional culture, alternative culture required the ideals and principles of “comrades-in-arms” and “the common affair”. Piratbyrån’s progress from the website and the book Copy Me via the Walpurgis book burning (which represented alternative experience in a new context and a new form) to S23M is essentially the evolution of the creative consolidation from the ideological to the post- ideological epoch. Friendship is the most non-institutional and personalized type of social communication. In the situation where not only the normative ethics of the authority collapse, but the “comrade-in-arms” and “common affair” ethics of opposition collapse as well, it is friendship, “the ethical form of Eros”, which remains the most invulnerable. It is also invulnerable to the cult of immorality, now associated with the liberating ethos of digitalization. Finally, the ethic of friendship does not accept any relativization of moral feelings, which (especially under the old aesthetic regime) was the most efficient opposition to official morality. Links between friends can’t avoid morality, that’s what takes them beyond simple acquaintance and relations between colleagues. While accepting any forms of human expression (including transgression and excess), friendship denies only one — irony. The confidential project is a characteristic symptom of the new situation, in which ironic strategies are left in the past. It is based in a deep earnestness, almost an obsession (transgression and excess). In this sense theconfidential community is the only possible form in which to preserve ethics in the period of the transition from the ideological ethics of the analog age to a kopimist ethics of the post-analog society. The confidential community’s denial of irony is an acknowledgement that deconstruction has exhausted itself as a strategy, and that what’s needed is a strategy of reconstruction. The constructive character of the confidential community is the utopian element that exists in any real friendship. The confidential project is the project of an ideal community or an ideal art system. In this sense, the idea of the institutionalization of friendship is mobilizing the major advantage of any transition epoch, when the old order has collapsed and the new one has not yet been built. The confidential community ascribes value to a pure potentiality. The S23M discussions. Three poles. Even a cursory familiarization with the S23M material shows that the discussions were determined by three clashing positions. All the S23M participants unanimously acknowledged that this project is a product of the collapse of the traditional ontological order, and that all of them are essentialy “frustrated” subjects. However, their differentiation starts immediately beyond this statement. It is evident that from the perspective of Piratbyrån, the prospect of a new ontology is lost somewhere beyond the horizon, but that does not keep the subject from moving towards it. For Ollibolli, ontology is impossible, but the structure of that impossibility has its own ontological sense. For Altemark, finally, the symptom of the crisis do not mean the end of an ontology. According to him, the same ontology is now stronger than ever, while his main task is to defeat it. In other words, while the Piratbyrån members are trying to appropriate their frustration, to make it a source of some new positive matter, Ollibolli and Altemark are trying to withdraw from frustration by offering two negative strategies. So while Altemark and Ollibolli are happily taking part in the confidential project, it is only the Piratbyrån group which could initiate it. S23M discussions. Analog-digital. The nature of analog-digital relations was the main nerve and the hidden leitmotif of all of the S23M discussions. Each of the supporters of the opposite points of view could not refrain from acknowledging that the analog-digital division is essentially the most painful trauma for the analog consciousness. The members of Piratbyrån are trying simply to understand the nature of the difference between analog and digital, not to define it. The ethos of their efforts is, instead of making statements, to understand digital reality — to study its structure and its dimensions, and to reveal its links with analog reality. In other words, the members of Piratbyrån are trying to look at the internet not as a solid body, but as something fragmented. Therefor, from the perspective of aesthetics they are not artists, but hackers. The idea of greyzones is basic to Piratbyrån’s identity. The S23M project — the residue was represented at Manifesta 7 — is nothing but the experience of a real border crossings, a study of greyzones, and a personal reflection on their conventional character. The members of Piratbyrån raise the issue of analog and digital — of infrastructural, artistic and legal borders — in conversation with both artists and hackers. S23M discussions. Analog-digital. The system of art. For the S23M participants, as for kopimists in general, the analog is the only art system, while the digital is an everyday artistic reality which is not included into that system (is so, only partially and not on a fair basis). As before, it was the Piratbyrån participants who initiated this discussion. They asked whether kopimists should blindly accept the laws of the art system, or mobilize the resources of critical thought with respect to the internet. For Ollibolli, this is not an issue. Because the phenomenon of contemporary art is a product of institutions, and almost all of these institutions are based on authorship, it follows that there is no other art than the authorship- based model. Therefore no critical distance is possible in relation to it, just as there can be no critical distance in relation to sunrise and sunset. In other words, the more you are an artist, the more you are an author. In his turn, Altemark, who turns Ollibolli’s position upside down once again, assumes that the system of art is so powerful that true freedom only exists beyond it, and true identity only exists beyond copyright. Having started a terrorist struggle with the contemporary art world, he declares a “Black Tape Day”. For Piratbyrån, the total acceptance or non-acceptance of the system is, if not a mistake, then at least a tactically short-sighted approach. It’s important to investigate and understand the inner mechanics of the system if only because the system can “deceive” you. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that the dynamics of the system have been maintained due to its ability to reflect upon itself critically. Therefore, the more critically you alienate yourself from the system, the more you’re an artist. The more you reveal that contemporary institutions are not relevant to your experience (even if your experience is the experience of art), the more you become a bearer of aesthetic values. Moreover, the more you build your identity upon the logic of negating the system, the less space — the less autonomy from the system — you leave for your identity. Finally, nothing helps a system to demonstrate its force as much as attempts to struggle against it. At the same time, nothing helps an artist to appropriate the might of a system better than an attempt to destroy it. The confidential project. One last note instead of a conclusion.Upon looking through the S23M materials, one could rightly ask: what made this friendship possible? What made all of these people get together? Their intellectual positions are so different! They can agree on almost nothing! It appears that the confidential project has another function characteristic of the transitional period: prophylaxis. Compared to a traditional exhibition (works delivered by trucks, assistants, the opening, and dinner with sponsors) the confidential project is extremely uncomfortable. Its experience can be justified by only one thing: its therapeutic impact. These projects are nothing but voluntary group therapy! These endless discussions are nothing but wholesome public acts of speaking out in order to eliminate depression and neuroses! Is it not social therapy that the institution of friendship serves? The therapeutic impact of the confidential project is effective because it plunges the participants into extreme situations; it provides them with some kind of a threshold experience. The lack of comfort and the hardships of the confidential project are compensated for by the intensity of experience. Unlike an ordinary exhibition, taking part in such a project means taking a step into the unknown. That’s where the difference between friendship and other social forms lies. Friendship cannot be routine, it’s always an adventure. I am ready to bear witness that the participants in the confidential project think of it as one of the most important moments in their kopimist lives, similar to how worn-out veterans recall the years spent on the battlefield as the happiest period of their lives. Finally, as I said before, friendship is a serial solidarity. Therefore, theconfidential project never degrades into a monotonous conveyer, because when they meet, friends always know that later they’ll have to part -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/attachments/20080827/53e8f2a1/attachment-0001.html From leftword at vsnl.com Sat Aug 30 14:49:20 2008 From: leftword at vsnl.com (Leftword Admin) Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:19:20 -0500 Subject: [Commons-Law] New title from www.leftword.com Message-ID: <61c374e74f1b63c7573d4ed31d6130df@www.leftword.com> DOCUMENTS OF THE COMMUNIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA Vol. 1-26 (including Part I and Part II of Vol. 10) Jyoti Basu (Editor-in-Chief), Sailen Dasgupta, Buddhadev Bhattacharya, Anil Biswas and Santi Sekhar Basu (editors) 81-7626-000-2, National Book Agency, 1997-99 List price:Rs 27,000 / $ 1350.00 (entire set) Book Club Members price: Rs 20,250 / $ 1012.50 (entire set) Each volume approx. 700?1000 pages Rs 1000 / $ 50.00 (per volume) Book Club Members price: Rs 750 / $ 37.50 (per volume) http://www.leftword.com/bookdetails.php?BkId=142&type=HB This set of 27 volumes covers the period 1917 to 1998, and brings together the documents of the Communist Movement in a comprehensive manner. The documents are published here in their exact original form, with no editing whatsoever. An indispensable resource for historians, scholars, journalists and activists. Each volume contains an introductory note by Jyoti Basu and a Foreword by Harkishan Singh Surjeet. Volume 1 (1917?1928), 1120 pages Contains 30 documents in the main text and 23 document in the Annexures on various incidents which map the early years of the communist movement in India, including the first contacts between the Indian revolutionaries and leaders of the October Revolution. The volume includes what M.N. Roy reminisced about the establishment of the Communist Party of India at Tashkent in 1920. It also includes the Memoranda submitted by Roy to the Congress session of Ahmedabad (1921), Gaya (1922), and Guwahati (1926). The Resolution on Total Independence submitted by Maulana Hasrat Mohani at Ahmedabad, that was dropped in the face of opposition from Mahatma Gandhi, finds place in the volume. Also included are the Colonial Thesis by Lenin, Resolution of the Communist International on the Countries of the East; documents on the Peshwar Conspiracy Case, Kanpur Conspiracy Case, Communist Conference at Kanpur (1925) and formation of the All India Workers and Peasants Party at Calcutta (1925). The volume includes a lengthy foreword by E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Volume 2 (1929), 1444 pages This volume is dedicated to the Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929). The case was launched by the British Government against nineteen accused, including Muzaffar Ahmad, B.F. Bradley, Gangadhar Adhikari, P.C. Joshi, S.A. Dange, and others. The pamphlet published by the committee as well as the pieces that appeared on this case in the Labour Monthly find place in this volume. Volume 3 (1929?1938), 928 pages The main body of the volume consists of 37 documents and the annexures 19. The documents include the celebrated Three Parties? Letter. In 1932, the communist parties of Great Britain, China and Germany jointly authored the letter. This led, in 1933, to the formation of the provisional Central Committee of the CPI. Volume 4 (1939?1943), 1937 pages This volume contains 60 documents plus 15 in the annexures. The volume reproduces the document on the First Congress of the CPI in 1943 at Mumbai; joint statement of P.C. Joshi and Jayprakash Narayan; Jail Document; CPI Polit Bureau Resolution of People?s War. The 1st Congress of the CPI in 1943 formed the Central Committee. The volume contains documents on the historic 1943 Kayur peasant struggle in Kerala and three documents after the winding up of the International in 1943, along with the statements of J.V. Stalin and P.C Joshi. Volume 5 (1944?1948), 1144 pages This volume includes statements and analysis of the CPI on such momentous events as the end of World War and intensification of India?s independence struggle, the INA trial and protest movement against it all over the country, RIN mutiny, 1946 elections, communal riots and the plot for Partition, the Mountbatten Plan and India?s independence and partition, culminating in monstrous communal riots. Volume 6 (1949?1951), 824 pages The volume comprises 17 documents. The CPI took a dangerous left sectarian turn after 1948, and the party suffered as a result. Eventually, Rajeswar Rao replaced B.T. Ranadive as General Secretary; the PB and the CC were reconstituted. A party circular dated 1/6/1950 conveyed all this information to the membership. Three documents were presented to the CC for inner-party discussion. Volume 7 (1952), 890 pages This volume includes 38 documents, including 7 in annexures. This volume contains an article by Ajay Ghosh exposing Nehru?s socialism, resolution by the CC of CPSU on the role of Stalin dated 30/6/1956; that by CC, CPI dated July, 1956, as well as the same by the PB CPC dated 5/4/1956 and 29/ 12/1956. The alternative resolution placed at the Palghat Party Congress by P.C Joshi, Rajeshwar Rao, Bhabani Sen etc. also finds place in this volume. Volume 8 (1957?1961), 1016 pages The main text of the volume consists of 44 documents and the annexures 5. Amongst the most notable successes of the party in this period was during the 1957 elections, when the first-ever elected Communist government was installed in Kerala, and was eventually dismissed by Nehru?s government on 3rd August 1959. The period covered by this volume seethes with internal differences in the CPI. Volume 9 (1962?1963), 932 pages The volume has 38 documents inclusive of 14 in the annexures. It covers a period in the history of the Indian Communist movement marked by intense inner-party struggles against right revisionism culminating in the establishment of the CPI (M) in 1964. The speeches by Jyoti Basu in the West Bengal Assembly (16/11/1962) and A.K. Gopalan in Lok Sabha (23?24January 1963) are published here. Volume 10-A (1964 Part I), 355 pages This volume consists of eight documents, including ?A Contribution to Ideological Debate? submitted jointly by M. Basavapunniah, N. Prasad Rao, A.K. Gopalan, H.K.S. Surjeet, P. Ramamurti, Jyoti Basu, Harekrishna Koner and Niranjan Sen against revisionism. Also included is a resolution by 146 delegates at Tenali, representing over one hundred thousand party members, deciding that the Party?s 7th Congress would be held at Calcutta in October?November 1964, sharply demarcating from right revisionism. Volume 10-B (1964 part II), 620 pages This volume contains all the documents adopted at the 7th Party Congress like the Party Programme, ?Fight Against Revisionism?, ?Tasks in the Present Situation?, Party?s Statement of Policy, Party Constitution, etc. Volume 11 (1965?1967), 1087 pages This volume contains 87 documents, including the 1967 Election Manifesto, Ideological Debate (Draft), Differences with the CPC, ?Against Left Deviations Left Opportunism?, Tasks on the Kisan Front, TU Front, Party Organization, etc. Volume 12 (1968), 1073 pages This volume reproduces 52 documents, including Resolution on Ideological Debate adopted at the Burdwan Plenum, ?Letter to Andhra Comrades?, ?Against Left Sectarianism?, Political Resolution and Political Organizational Report adopted at 8th Party Congress held at Cochin. Volume 13 (1969), 696 pages This volume consists of 67 documents including on the mid-term assembly poll in West Bengal resulting in victory again of the United Front with CPI(M) emerging as the largest party, split of Congress Party, evaluation of the document of the 9th Congress of the CPC where Lin Biao was proclaimed successor to Mao, appraisal of the document adopted at meeting of Communist Parties on 17/06/1969 in Moscow, etc. Volume 14 (1970), 862 pages With 90 documents, the volume spreads over 862 pages. The documents cover, inter alia, formation of government in Kerala by the CPI with the Congress (I), Syndicate Congress, Muslim League; in CPI bringing down the United Front government in West Bengal with the help of the Bangla Congress; division in AITUC by Dange, leading to the emergence of the CITU; the politics of terror, mayhem and murder by the Naxalites in West Bengal. Volume 15 (1971?1972), 1004 pages This volume contains 125 documents devoted to, among other things, the division of Pakistan and establishment of Bangladesh; CPI (M) getting 111 seats in West Bengal assembly polls in 1971, becoming the largest party, but the CPI, Congress, Bangla Congress, etc., combining to plot to keep it out of power leading to the fall of their government; installation of the riggers janata in West Bengal after wholesale rigging of the West Bengal polls in 1972 amidst semi-fascist terror; CPI (M) Party Congress at Madurai (June 27?July 2, 1972); solidarity with Vietnam Liberation struggle. Volume 16 (1973?1974), 630 pages This volume contains 123 documents covering the deaths of comrades Muzaffar Ahmed, Harekrishna Konar, and Rajani Palm Dutt; establishment of Kisan Sabha; imperialism in south Vietnam and the unification of Vietnam; 14-day nationwide railway strike; united movement by the CPI (M) and the Socialist Party; joint statement for united struggle in Bihar signed by P. Sundarayya, Promode Dasgupta, Jayaprakash Narayan and Madhu Dandavate. Volume 17 (1975?1977), 670 Pages The 128 documents in this volume are devoted to retreat of the Socialist Party from united movement with the CPI (M); invalidation of the election of Indira Gandhi as MP by Allahabad High Court; foisting of Emergency rule in India by her with the support to the CPI as well as the Soviet Union; her defeat by the Janata Party and installation of Morarji Dasai as Prime Minister; victory of the Left Front in the June 1977 Assembly poll in West Bengal and installation of the Left Front Government in the state. Volume 18 (1978?1979), 732 pages The period covered by this volume is a most significant period in the political history of post-independence India. The formation of the Janata Party which crystallized in the fight against authoritarianism under the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, was actually a combination of different political thoughts and aspirations and this was soon manifested in the functioning of Janata Party?s government in New Delhi under Morarji Desai. The stand taken by CPI (M) on the ?July Crisis? is included in this volume. Volume 19 (1980?1981), 608 pages This volume includes important documents which throw light on several political development in India of far-reaching consequences. The first document of this volume is the election manifesto of CPI (M) for 1980 Lok Sabha elections, highlighting the battle for democracy against authoritarian and dictatorial rule. Volume 20 (1982?1983), 764 pages The 11th Congress of the CPI (M) was held at Vijayawada on January 26?31,1982, and this was the biggest political event of this period relating to communist movement in India. When Indira Gandhi came back to power in 1980 she continued the same authoritarian and dictatorial policies, and this was correctly analyzed in the Political Resolution adopted by the 11th Congress. Volume 21 (1984?1986), 878 pages This was an important period in political history of post-independent India. Virulent separatist movements engulfed almost the whole of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and very badly affected various regions of Assam and the states of the north-east. Volume 22 (1987?1988), 896 pages This volume includes 147 documents. It also includes 8 documents in its appendix which reveal the efforts made by the CPI (M) to build left unity and united movement in defence of democracy and secularism and also defeat the anti-people policies of the Congress (I) government led by Rajiv Gandhi and to thwart the nefarious game of disruptive and divisive and communal forces. Volume 23 (1989?1991), 770 pages This was a period when very rapid political developments of far-reaching consequence took place in India as well as in the socialist countries. It covers the document on the socialist society in erstwhile Soviet Union, which developed after the October Revolution of 1917, and came to its unexpected and abrupt end, paving the way for the restoration of capitalism. Volume 24 (1992?1993), 840 pages This volume contains 200 documents. The biggest event of the Communist Movement of this period in India was the Fourteenth Congress of the CPI (M) held in Madras on January 3-9, 1992. E.M.S. Namboodiripad relinquished his post of General Secretary of the CPI (M) in this Congress and Harkishan Singh Surjeet was elected as General Secretary of Party. Volume 25 (1994?1996), 992 pages This volume contains 243 documents, which cover the New Economic Policy pursued by the Congress (I) government headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao. Volume 26 (1997?1998), 1120 pages This is the last volume of the series containing 186 documents in the main text and 14 in the annexures. The developments covered in this period are the fall of two United Front governments, led by H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral respectively, because of the withdrawal of support by the Congress (I), leading, in 1998, to General Elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single largest party, and was able to form a government of 18 parties. All payments should be in favour of LEFTWORD BOOKS. Please add Rs45/$3 to cheques not payable at par in Delhi. We will not be responsible for books lost in the post. To ensure this does not happen, please add Rs 25 for registration charges. 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