Comments on: Boycott Brother Industries

By: Arthur Marsh

Arthur Marsh — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:46:17 +0000

Come on, Bdale, put some Tux (and Tuz) stickers on the HP printer boxes!

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:45:30 +0000

O Brother.

By: Mike Brown

Mike Brown — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:42:47 +0000

Brother used to sponsor Manchester City, so I’ve been boycotting them for years!

Cheers,

- Mike

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:36:44 +0000

I suppose that exploration of Comes exhibits will enable people to make a strong case against selling out to Microsoft, maybe even prosecuting them (via other companies).

By: Jose_X

Jose_X — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:31:32 +0000

[Roy Schestowitz] >> If you have suggestions as to how to effectively spread the message, then please, let’s hear it.

What I am saying is that it’s important to grow the Linux user base. This increases every members leverage, including, with attempts to do things like a “boycott” or get laws changed.

This is one thing I hope to start soon. http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2009-02-03-015-35-IN-KN-0000

There’s also a lot of material on thetuxproject.com

Growing the base means growing our (everyone’s) leverage.

[aeshna23] >> I have no idea what to do yet, but it something we should all ponder. Of course, one idea is that we needn’t worry about them, since no contract is patent law.

I think this more or less covers my personal approach to avoiding patents as a dev http://boycottnovell.com/2009/02/05/novell-layoffs-rumour/#comment-59432 . A key point is to stay away from high risk situations.

By: aeshna23

aeshna23 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:53:49 +0000

“If you have suggestions as to how to effectively spread the message, then please, let’s hear it.

The goal/means is less to do with boycotts and more to do with prevention. This is the first such patent deal in about a year. ”

A strategic response to these deals is clearly something we need to think about. I have no idea what to do yet, but it something we should all ponder. Of course, one idea is that we needn’t worry about them, since no contract is patent law. I just don’t know.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:43:28 +0000

If you have suggestions as to how to effectively spread the message, then please, let’s hear it.

The goal/means is less to do with boycotts and more to do with prevention. This is the first such patent deal in about a year.

By: Jose_X

Jose_X — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:37:34 +0000

This reminds me, the faster Linux market share grows, the sooner “boycott X” can be more effective. A lot of people might sympathize with companies that play cleanly with FOSS among a mixed bag of clean and dirty players, but only if people use and (learn to) feel strongly about FOSS freedoms.

All of these patent threats, whenever exercised effectively against FOSS, take away from what people might otherwise have. Users can see and touch FOSS and acquire it and modify it free on their terms. There is a real sense of ownership there.

So the more users that use and exploit Linux+FOSS, the more likely fair patent laws will be passed. Similarly, the more users can create their own content and share it under FOSS-y licenses, the more likely fair copyright laws will be passed. And the more users that care about these things because they have something at stake they can see and touch, the more likely hardware companies and others will want to cater to those users and will be able to buck trends.

By: aeshna23

aeshna23 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:57:21 +0000

Isn’t what is happening is that the firm pays Microsoft for some more legally recognized intellectual property and Microsoft throws in for free the Linux “intellectual property”? It’s really hard to stop this type of BS, because it’s like Microsoft is also giving them a shiny pebble worth nothing. Why would you say no, unless you know that the shiny pebble has sinister magic? Most people just don’t understand the ways of Microsoft.