09.11.11

IRC Proceedings: September 11th, 2011

Posted in IRC Logs at 8:26 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Enter the IRC channels now

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Cablegate: Investigation Launched Against Initiator of Kurdish GNU/Linux Distribution

Posted in Asia, Cablegate, Europe, GNU/Linux at 11:17 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Abdullah Demirbas, who is named for his role in making a Kurdish GNU/Linux distribution, is being badly treated by the authorities

“Diyarbakir Chief Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Abdullah Demirbas,” says the following Cablegate cable, “who launched efforts to create software in Kurdish that would be used on the computer systems of the municipality. The software was promoted by Mr. Demirbas and Mr.Rainer Haider, its creator who is a U.S. national, a while ago in the Sur district. The software was named as ‘Ubuntu’ which meant “help, support” in one of the local languages of South Africa.”

According to an article from April 2010, “Abdullah Demirbaş, Mayor of the Kurdish capital of Diyarbakir-Sur was arrested in late December 2009 by the Turkish police. He was arrested on baseless allegations” and he was “suffering from the disease vein thrombosis (DVT)…”

While we don’t know the full nature of the story, we mentioned him a couple of years ago in relation to GNU/Linux in Turkey. The cable is basically an accumulation of many short reports from 2006. As he was able to launch a GNU/Linux distribution years later, we assume that he was out of jail and probably innocent. A political prisoner perhaps? He is a town mayor according to Wikipedia.

VZCZCXRO1330
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0250/01 3331322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291322Z NOV 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4369
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0915
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0791
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0971

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000250 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS [National Security], PGOV [Internal Governmental Affairs], PHUM [Human Rights], TU [Turkey]
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2006 

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for November 29,
2006.  Please note that Turkish press reports often contain
errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch for
the accuracy of the reports summarized here. 

POLITICAL 

RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / ZAMAN / HURRIYET:  Diyarbakir Chief
Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against Abdullah
Demirbas, Sur District Mayor in Diyarbakir, who launched efforts
to create software in Kurdish that would be used on the computer
systems of the municipality.   The software was promoted by Mr.
Demirbas and Mr.Rainer Haider, its creator who is a U.S.
national, a while ago in the Sur district.  The software was
named as 'Ubuntu' which meant "help, support" in one of the
local languages of South Africa. 

EVRENSEL:       Regarding the incident about two villagers fired
upon by security officers in Hakkari's Yuksekova district (see
press summary for November 27), the Hakkari Governor's Office
dismissed the allegations that the office initially announced
immediately after the incident that the two persons were PKK
terrorists.  The Governor's office claimed that some media was
misinforming the public about it, and the office allegedly only
stated that "two persons did not obey security officers' halt
warning and entered into clash with the security personnel." 

EVRENSEL:       Author Orhan Miroglu, who is a member of party
assembly of DTP, said that the government should express more
reasonable grounds for not establishing dialogue with the DTP.
According to Miroglu, Turkey is in need of facing the reality of
the PKK. 

EVRENSEL:       According to some secret documents made public on a
television program called "Reports Mainz" broadcast on Germany's
ARD TV station, people detained unlawfully in Europe were being
transferred to Afghanistan and Guantanamo Prison via Incirlik
Air Base in Adana. 

CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 

ZAMAN:  Two people, who were feigning as a decent family
with a baby, were caught with nine kilograms of heroin as they
were traveling in their private car in Diyarbakir.  The heroin
was reportedly purchased in Hakkari and traffickers were aiming
to trade it in the western provinces. 

ECONOMY 

BOLGE / EVRENSEL / ZAMAN:       Because of the decrease in demand
in the internal market for citrus fruit, farmers were reportedly
experiencing difficulty in selling their produce at reasonable
prices.  Turkish Army recently pledged to citrus fruit farmers
in Mersin that the army would start serving at least two times
in a week citrus fruit to the soldiers in their meals. 

SABAH (GUNEY):  During a seminar called "Cooperation between
Turkey and the U.K." held at the chamber, Mehmet Aslan,
Chairperson of Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, requested from
Nick Braid, new ambassador of the U.K. to Ankara, that the U.K.
should eliminate the difficulties experienced in issuing visas
to Turkish industrialists. 

ZAMAN:  A group of businessman in Hatay's Dortyol district
made a cultural and business trip to Northern Iraq.  The group
paid visits to cultural sites, to schools, and to a hospital
opened by Turkish doctors, at Arbil, Kirkuk and Suleymaniyah
provinces. 

CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 

HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    The gala night of Turkey's likely Oscar
nominee in 2007, "Dondurmam Gaymak", which won two awards at the
4th Queens Film Festival in the United States, has been held in
Mersin. 

HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / BOLGE / EKSPRES / ZAMAN:  Two new rectors,
Professor Suha Aydin and Professor Serafettin Canda, have been
appointed to Mersin University in Mersin and Mustafa Kemal
University in Hatay respectively.  The rector of the Sutcu Imam
University in Kahramanmaras has been reappointed to his former
rector's position at the same university. 

BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY):        The Press Office of the 

ADANA 00000250  002 OF 002 

Adana Municipality released a statement saying that air
pollution observed in quarters located around the D-400 highway
and in the southern part of Adana is decreasing the quality of
life for people.  However, the northern parts, which were
selected as new settlement areas of the province by Mayor Aytac
Durak in terms of good urban planning, were experiencing no
decrease in the quality of air, according to the office.
Experts are reportedly warning people not to go out especially
during evenings in those parts. 

ZAMAN / EVRENSEL / HURRIYET:    A 44-year-old prosecutor, who was
appointed to Kars's Ardahan district two months ago, reportedly
committed suicide yesterday morning with his gun.  The
prosecutor reportedly conducted an operation against fuel-oil
smuggling in 2002 in Van's Saray district, and jandarma teams
detained four officials of the Ministry of Environment under
that operation then.  One year before that operation,
unidentified person(s) opened fire on the prosecutor's car and
wounded two privates who were escorting the prosecutor. 

BOLGE / EKSPRES / EVRENSEL:      Unrest broke out between students
and police when police allegedly did not allow students to enter
an Adana high school.  The students were not able to afford the
3 YTL requested by school administration in exchange for a
school identity card.  When the tension subsided, the students
were allowed in the school. 

BOLGE:  Mersin Municipality announced its donation of fifty
wheel chairs to 50 handicapped persons. 

ZAMAN / BOLGE:  Turkish Red Crescent sent 4500 tons of flour
to the Palestinian authority via the port of Mersin as
humanitarian aid.  A ceremony was held at the port as the vessel
set off for its destination.
GREEN

We will have some more cables to share on Tuesday (I am away in London all day tomorrow). █

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Cablegate: Gates Foundation Sends Team to Install ‘Free’ Software in the Health Ministry

Posted in Apple, Bill Gates at 10:45 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

“There’s free software and then there’s open source… there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with.”

–Bill Gates, April 2008

Summary: Cable in Cablegate mischaracterises the role of the Bill Gates lobby (calling proprietary software “free software”)

THE Gates Foundation is more like a lobbying group and, according to this Cablegate cable, it is allowed to control health systems through software, too. “He spoke of assistance from the Gates Foundation,” says this cable, “in developing the province’s e-government capacity, including a team that was arriving to install free software in the health ministry for the management of medication supplies.” Is it anything like those Microsoft applications that Gates puts inside libraries before leaving those libraries stranded? And schools too? We have addressed this subject in posts such as:

• Libraries Burned by Microsoft and the Gates Foundation as Another Project/Product Dies
• Gates Foundation (and Microsoft) Take the Libraries Takeover Global
• How the Gates Foundation Blocks GNU/Linux and Free Software in National Libraries, Then Inherits Education
• Gates Foundation Joins Microsoft and Attacks Free Software in Greece
• How the Gates Foundation Makes People “Addicted” to Microsoft

Here is the full cable.

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0609/01 1282137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072137Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0985

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000609 

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE 

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PREL OEXC OTRA SCUL SENV AR

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO LA PLATA: A UNIVERSITY TOWN AND HOME
TO BUENOS AIRES GOVERNOR DANIEL SCIOLI 

SUMMARY
------- 

¶1. (U) The Ambassador reaffirmed the USG commitment to strengthening
bilateral ties with Argentina and discussed investment, drugs, and
local issues during an April 30 meeting with Buenos Aires Governor
Daniel Scioli and series of meetings in the provincial capital.  The
Ambassador visited a parish school serving disadvantaged children;
met with La Plata municipal leaders and officials from the
Universidad Nacional de La Plata and the Universidad Catolica de La
Plata; opened the U.S. Embassy sponsored photo exhibit "Landmarks of
New York"; and visited the La Plata Natural History Museum during
his first official trip to the capital of Buenos Aires Province.  La
Plata's universities are the second largest employer after
government and have an influencial role in local policy making.  END
SUMMARY. 

GOVERNOR DANIEL SCIOLI
---------------------- 

¶2. (SBU) Scioli said he was looking to develop agreements with other
countries' states and provinces facing similar challenges in
generating jobs, protecting the environment, improving education.
The Ambassador agreed that international relations were no longer
the exclusive domain of national governments but increasingly
involved a growing range of subnational actors.  The Ambassador
mentioned several state trade delegations coming soon to Argentina,
including missions from Alabama, Florida, and Texas. 

¶3. (SBU) Scioli expressed great interest in the U.S. elections and
said he had attended Democrat and Republican conventions.  As on
previous occasions, Scioli stressed to us his admiration and
sympathy for the U.S., claiming these feelings dated back to his
first job as a Frigidaire salesman.  He noted that business and
sports had taken him frequently to the U.S., and once he entered
politics he continued looking to the U.S. for inspiration. 

¶4. (SBU) Scioli, preoccupied throughout the lunch by the previous
day's disappearance of human rights activist Juan Puthod (who
reappeared several hours after the lunch ended), said he was struck
on a recent visit to Miami by Mayor Manny Diaz's presentation on
inroads they had made against crime, and he was particularly
impressed by the importance that Police Chief John Timoney gave to
rebuilding the trust and confidence of citizens to gain their
cooperation and participation in stopping crime.  The Ambassador
noted that Baltimore had also made dramatic strides in curbing
violent crime and offered embassy assistance to identify best
practices and lessons learned there. 

¶5. (SBU) Scioli's brother Jose Antonio, the Secretary General for
the provincial government, summoned some statistics to show the
Ambassador what the Scioli administration's law enforcement had
accomplished in the first four months of government with tips
provided by citizens calling in to a new, well-advertised hotline.
They had recovered 15,000 stolen vehicles, confiscated over 5,000
unregistered weapons, seized 159 kg of cocaine and 1,612 kg of
marijuana, leading to 7,864 arrests. 

¶6. (SBU) Scioli noted his strong interest in improving highway
safety.  He believed strongly in the utility of imposing heavier
sanctions on infractions, greater enforcement, and new legislation
to enhance vehicle registration and facilitate infrastructure
improvements.  The Ambassador noted California's positive results
from higher fines as well as broader use of radar by highway
patrols.  The Ambassador also offered embassy assistance in seeking
statistics and best practices from the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the U.S. Department of
Transportation. 

¶7. (SBU) Scioli said investment promotion was high on his agenda,
even though his province already produced 40% of Argentina's GDP.
His government had recently enacted new incentives to attract
investment, and he was looking for public-private partnerships in
strategic areas such as the ports.  The Ambassador pointed out that
AES and other energy generators and distributors were balking at
additional investment until tariffs were adjusted.  Scioli said he
was impressed by the diversity of U.S. investments in Buenos Aires
province, and he was pleased by recent news of R.C. Johnson & Son's
intention to invest $65 million in an aerosol production plant in
Buenos Aires.  He spoke of assistance from the Gates Foundation,
agreed in Miami recently, in developing the province's e-government
capacity, including a team that was arriving to install free
software in the health ministry for the management of medication
supplies.  Scioli expressed interest in attracting foreign
investment to develop tourist infrastructure.  He also asked for
assistance in identifying U.S. companies that could help the
province tackle its growing garbage problem, particularly with waste
treatment and incineration. 

SCHOOL VISIT & BOOK DONATION
---------------------------- 

¶8. (U) The Ambassador was warmly welcomed by students wearing
colonial period costumes and a cannon salute on his visit to Colegio
San Vicente de Paul School, a private Catholic school serving
disadvantaged children in La Plata.  The Ambassador met with dozens
of school children, visited a woodworking and metal workshop, and
made a book donation to the school's library.  The school complex
has five schools, including a kindergarden, primary, secondary and
technical schools and together has 2,500 students, most of whom are
poor children from the neighboring community.  The school also
provides free meals to over 1,000 children daily through its
"comedor" or kitchen meals program. 

LA PLATA - A UNIVERSITY TOWN WITH A GREAT MUSEUM
--------------------------------------------- --- 

¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador met with two university leaders and visited
the La Plata Natural History Museum where he discussed expanding
exchange opportunities between the United States and Argentina,
intellectual property and scientific advances.  University Nacional
de La Plata's (UNLP) Vice Rector Raul Anibal Perdomo and UNLP's
Museum of Natural History Director Dr. Silvia Ametrano hosted the
Ambassador and gave a brief private tour of the university's museum
which is currently closed for repairs.  The UNLP is a leading
educational institution and currently has over 75,000 students
(Note: Current Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
and former President Nestor Kirchner are former alumni at this
liberal institution, the third largest in Argentina.  The meeting
was held in the museum instead of the main campus).  Both Perdomo
and Ametrano noted that UNLP has strong scientist-to-scientist
exchange programs with museums and other institutions worldwide,
including the Smithsonian, but specifically requested the Embassy's
assistance in securing intellectual property rights training for its
museum staff.  Ametrano noted that the museum needs help in
registering its collection, exhibits and replicas, and has sought
UNESCO assistance in this endeavor.  The museum's varied collections
are vast, and include one of the largest collections of dinosaur
reproductions in the world. 

¶10. (U) Next to UNLP, the Universidad Catolica de La Plata (UCALP)
is La Plata's second largest university and the Ambassador met with
UCALP Rector Rafeal Breide Obeid to discuss the university's
curriculum, the U.S. Speaker Program, and cultural exchanges.  The
Ambassador also answered questions about the state of
Argentine-American relations, anti-American perceptions in Argentina
and U.S. foreign policy with students from UCALP's Institute of
Argentine-North American studies (CESPAN).  CESPAN was created in
November 2006 to reach out to post-graduate students in an attempt
to provide them with information about U.S-Argentine relations and
to develop deeper social ties with academic and cultural
institutions.  The students were critical of U.S. foreign policy but
were well aware of the ambassador's and Mission's programs to change
the negative perceptions of Argentines about the United States
through outreach, community engagement, and increasing the number of
exchanges between the two countries. 

ART EXHIBIT & MEETING WITH LA PLATA MAYOR
----------------------------------------- 

¶11. (U) The Ambassador opened an Embassy-sponsored photo exhibit
titled "Landmarks of New York" in the Darda Rocha Cultural Center
which was attended by many of the city's dignitaries, including
mayor Pablo Bruera.  A lawyer by training, Bruera was previously a
Provincial legislator before being elected mayor of La Plata in Fall
¶2007.  In his meeting with the Ambassador, Bruera stated that the
city is having tremendous difficulties in disposing of provincial
garbage due to the closure of several garbage dumps but noted that
he recently returned from Boston where he met with city officials
and visited a U.S. recycling plant.  Bruere had participated in a
several week program for young leaders at Harvard's JFK School.  He
also mentioned that the city's problems included a lack of public
transportation and security for its citizens, but he was optimistic
that the city's garbage woes could be resolved without giving
specific details.  The Ambassador closed the meeting by stressing
the importance of increasing cooperation through cultural exchanges
and offer

We also wrote about Argentina early this morning. Separately, we showed how Gates was milking Argentina for patent money. Just PR and profit, that’s what it’s all about. Attack on the competition (Free/libre software) is a bonus. They wish to pretend to donate (to make more sales) and Apple intends to try that one too. Apple could really use some PR after its militant behaviour, which has just come under police investigation and had Conan O’Brien make a lot fun.

“Samsung spends 6.5% of sales on R&D. Apple spends 2.2%,” points out this analyst, but Apple keeps trying to block this Linux-based competition from Korea.█

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Cablegate: “Google Adopted Shuttleworth’s Ubuntu Software as its In-house Operating System.”

Posted in GNU/Linux, Google, Ubuntu at 10:22 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Goobuntu received a mention in diplomatic cables

IN A CABLE from Cablegate we found the claim that “Google adopted Shuttleworth’s Ubuntu software as its in-house operating system.” The cable is generally about the South African economy and wildlife, but that last bit from 2009 is relevant to us.

It is worth noting that Google claims to have almost dumped Windows entirely, even from all desktops. Here is the cable in its entirety.

VZCZCXRO8120
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #1009/01 1391453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191453Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8520
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 6863
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0975
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9212
Hide header
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 001009 

DEPT FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, AND AF/S
DEPT PASS EPA/OIA, 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958:  N/A
TAGS: SENV [Environmental Affairs], SOCI [Social Conditions], ETRD [Foreign
Trade], SF [South Africa],
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY MONTHLY
BRIEFINGS, MAY 2009 

PRETORIA 00001009  001.2 OF 004 

¶1. (U) Summary:  This is the South African Environment, Science and
Technology Monthly Briefings Newsletter, May 2009, Volume 4, Number
5, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa. 

Topics of the newsletter: 

-- Scientists Develop New Carbon Emission Reduction Process 

-- South Africa and Uganda Sign S&T Bilateral Agreement 

-- South Africa Frogs Facing Extinction 

-- Lion Park Forced Out by Development 

-- Rare Orchid May Become Extinct 

-- Environmental Group Calls for Investigation of Gauteng
   MEC for Conservation 

-- Municipal Health Service Sees Deterioration in Water Quality 

-- Poor Water Quality Limits Business Growth 

-- SANParks Opposes Mining Project at Mapungubwe 

-- Monthly Factoid 

-----------------------------
Scientists Develop New Carbon
Emission Reduction Process
----------------------------- 

¶2. (U) Wits University Centre of Material and Process Synthesis
professors David Glasser, Diane Hildebrandt, Brendon Hausberger and
Bilal Patel, and Rutgers professor Benjamin Glasser have made a
breakthrough discovery that reduces carbon dioxide emissions from
the source and that can be applied to a range of processes.  David
Glasser said that their research developed new techniques for
analyzing what causes emissions, and how to design processes to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  He added that once these processes
are understood, it is "relatively simple to eliminate unnecessary
emissions and minimize the contributions from other sources." 

¶3. (U) Glasser cited as an example a plant making liquid fuel from
coal.  He said with their process the plant can reduce its overall
CO2 emissions by using CO2 and hydrogen as intermediaries.  He noted
that the plant achieves higher emission reductions using CO2 and
hydrogen, even though this appears to be an inferior method.
Glasser added that there is a pilot plant running in China and a
demonstration plant in Australia, which incorporate these ideas.
Glasser said the technique can be applied to a number of different
processes, giving it a substantial impact on combustion processes.
The center at Wits has 40 post graduate students and about 20 full
time employees who are funded by industry. 

----------------------------
South Africa and Uganda Sign
S & T Bilateral Agreement
---------------------------- 

¶4. (U) South Africa and Uganda signed a bilateral Science and
Technology Agreement on April; 16, 2009.  The two countries will
jointly identify scientific and technological priorities and
consolidate resources.  South Africa and Uganda have been
negotiating the agreement since 2006.  Areas of cooperation include
bioscience, indigenous knowledge systems, environment and climate
change, energy research, innovation management capacity, information
technology, and human capital development.  Uganda and South Africa
will continue their current joint efforts under the Group on Earth
Observation project.  Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi
Mangena said that, over the past decade, South Africa's science has
been greatly enriched by collaborations with African counterparts. 

------------------------------------
South Africa Frogs Facing Extinction
------------------------------------ 

¶5. (U) North-West University African Amphibian Conservation Research
Group Director Dr Louis du Preez warned that the South African frog
populations are rapidly decreasing.  Du Preez, who is also the Head
Qpopulations are rapidly decreasing.  Du Preez, who is also the Head
of the Green Trust Threatened South Africa Frog Project, is chairing
an effort to produce the first-ever conservation action plan for
South Africa's twenty-one threatened frog species.  Du Perez noted 

PRETORIA 00001009  002.2 OF 004 

that the rapid decline in frogs is cause for alarm because frogs are
the thermometers of environmental health.  He noted that frogs are
exposed to the complete range of air, water and land pollutants
since they live in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Several South Africa frogs are restricted to small geographical
areas and the loss of their habitat has a devastating effect on
population numbers.  The habitat of the Ghost Frog in the Elandsberg
Mountains, for example, has become a pine plantation.  Pine needles
acidify the water in the stream areas where the frog lives.  Du
Perez and two doctoral students recently discovered the first Ghost
Frog seen in years in the Elandsberg Mountain. 

¶6. (U) Du Perez says the Elandsberg forestry companies are
collaborating with the Green Trust to conserve this frog, hiring a
fulltime ecologist and bringing in expensive equipment to 'pluck'
trees from the stream area where the frog lives."  Another
endangered frog is Rose's ghost frog, a rare species found only on
Table Mountain, where it lives in streams and moist, forested
gorges.  It is under threat from invasive plants, increasing numbers
of visitors and the high number of fires.  The construction of more
water holding areas has taken away water from the streams where the
frogs' eggs and tadpoles develop.  The Western Cape NGO 'Friends of
the Western Leopard Toad' is helping to conserve this threatened
species, which lives and breeds in the urban environment of the
Tokai/Muizenberg/Fishhoek.  Western Leopards are frequently killed
by cars speeding on the roads.  The Friends have erected toad
crossings that say:  "Caution! Western Leopard Toads." 

-----------------------------------
Lion Park Forced Out by Development
----------------------------------- 

¶7. (U) Lions have ranged freely throughout Johannesburg's Lion Park
for forty-one years, but a high-density development is forcing the
Park to relocate.  The new development will include 1528 residence
on various sized plots.  Current residents question whether the
rural area's infrastructure will be able to handle this increased
capacity.  Local resident Nicci Wright, an engineer, said that the
area is a wetland fed by natural springs, and that the proposed
sewage system locates its pump at the lowest point in the area.  She
said when she questioned the effectiveness of this location she was
told that Randburg Water would handle all maintenance.  Wright said
she knows of three pumps handled by Randburg that are currently out
of order and pumping raw sewage into the Klein Jukskei and
Hartebeespoort Dam.  Developer Golder Associates Africa's
representative said that an extensive EIA was completed and all
environmental issues were addressed with sufficient mitigation
efforts.  Lion Park Acting Manager advised that the staff and
animals would move after the FIFA World Cup in 2010 when their
contract officially expires.  He noted that the Lion Park is no
longer in the rural areas as it used to be, and that "we are in the
middle of the suburbs now.  It's not very nice." 

------------------------------
Rare Orchid May Become Extinct
------------------------------ 

¶8. (U) The only known population of a rare wild orchid is threatened
by development plans near the Cradle of Humankind in Maropeng.
Conservationists say the orchid could become extinct.  Black Eagle
Project spokesman Arthur Alberston added that endangered or
QProject spokesman Arthur Alberston added that endangered or
threatened animals such as caracal, jackals and leopards move
through the area and the development would interrupt their transit
paths.  The application for this high-density residential and
business unit project is pending with the Gauteng Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (GDACE).  Albertson says
the project violates several national and provincial regulations and
policies.  If GDACE does grant the permit, the NGOs say they will
take legal action to stop the construction.  GDACE, Mogale City and
the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens officials claim they
have been investigating the feasibility of establishing a
2,000-hectare reserve in the that areas which would safeguard the
orchid's habitat and allow restocking of wildlife. 

-------------------------------------------
Environmental Group Calls for Investigation
of Gauteng MEC for Conservation
------------------------------------------- 

¶9. (U) The Environmental and Conservation Association (ECA) has
filed a lawsuit seeing to overrule Gauteng MEC for Agriculture,
Conservation and Environment Khabsisi Mosunkuntu's decision to
permit permitting a new road through one of Gauteng's wetlands.
Various media reports have also raised questions about Mosunkuntu's
decision to overrule GDACE ruling that the road should not be built, 

PRETORIA 00001009  003.2 OF 004 

citing Musunkuntu's involvement with the developments seeking the
roadway.  Gauteng Democratic Alliance Leader Jack Bloom submitted a
dossier detailing Mosunkuntu actions involving irregularities in
eight separate developments across the province to Gauteng premier
Mbhazima Shilowa last year.  Bloom called for a commission to
investigate Mosumkuntu.  ECA Chairman Nicole Barlow said the
wetland's road is yet another example of Mosumkuntu "sidestepping"
the law and making decisions contrary to GDACE's expert opinion. 

------------------------------
Municipal Health Service Sees
Deterioration in Water Quality
------------------------------ 

¶10. (U) Tshwane municipal health service division tabled a report
before the Metro Council on May 1, 2009 describing the rapid
deterioration of the quality of water and food in the area.  The
report contains findings by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC)
for the period July 1, 2005 to June 2008.  Food and water samples
were taken and tested for compliance with the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics
and Disinfections Act.  ARC samples included tap water, reservoirs,
bottled water, and water in tankers, boreholes, rivers and streams.
Food samples were taken from pasteurized milk, raw milk, dairy
products, juice and ice cream.  ARC's findings indicated that 57% of
all water samples complied with legal requirements; 60% of bottled
water complied; 53% of food complied with legal requirements
regarding microbiological analysis (a six percent decline from
previous period; and that 63% of food complied with legal
requirements regarding chemical analysis (a 35% decline).  The
report stated that there are serious personnel shortages in
municipal health services due to the council's alternative service
delivery (ASD) process. 

-----------------------------------------
Poor Water Quality Limits Business Growth
----------------------------------------- 

¶11. (U) Independent water expert Anthony Turton said South African
businesses growth could be constrained by the lack of clean water
resources.  He added that business should stop the "blame game" and
act swiftly in partnership with the government to deal with the
threat.  Turton said, "Business cannot sit idle any longer.  We need
new partnerships between the government, organized business and the
national science councils to develop and resource a fresh strategic
vision."  He advised business to see water as a business rick and to
form partnerships similar to those formed in response to crime.
Turton stated, "Companies must understand business risks in terms of
input, process and output and then develop mitigation strategies for
each of these sets of issues." 

¶12. (U) Turton said the water problem SA faced was that of quality
and quantity, as well as demand and supply.  He said, "By 2035 SA
will need 65-billion cubic kilometers of water and our current
national stock stands at 33-billion.  Our problem is that we are
managing our water resources so badly, and are putting pressure on
available fresh water."   Turton also suggested that the country's
water allocation reform process should ensure that industry - which
contributed about 80% of gross domestic product (GDP) but received
only about 20% of water allocation - should get more water at the
expense of agriculture, which received about 60% of water allocated
but only contributed about 2% to GDP .  Turton resigned from the
Qbut only contributed about 2% to GDP .  Turton resigned from the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research last year after he
made controversial remarks about the implications of SA's water
situation on socioeconomic development. 

---------------------------------------------
SANParks Opposes Mining Project at Mapungubwe
--------------------------------------------- 

¶13. (U) South African National Parks (SANParks) is challenging an
application for a R3 trillion mining operation to be established at
the entrance to the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site.  SANParks
spokesperson Wanda Mkhutshulwa said on April 20, 2009 that SANParks
was opposed to the project because it threatened the environment
around Mapungubwe, particularly the quality of its water.
Mkhutshulwa noted that SANparks mandate is to ensure the environment
surrounding the national parks is protected.  She stated, "From our
view, the mining project will have a negative impact on the water in
the park."  Department of Minerals and Energy spokesperson Bheki
Khumalo stressed that the mining project was not a done deal.
Khumalo said, "After all objections have been registered and all
concerns considered the department will make a determination.  We
are still months away from that." 

¶14. (U) The proposed mining site is near the Limpopo River, which
forms the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe.  The closest 

PRETORIA 00001009  004.2 OF 004 

town is Musina.  The mine's western boundary is seven kilometers
east of the Mapungubwe National Park, and the coal processing plant
infrastructure would be twenty-seven kilometers from the Mapungubwe
World Heritage Site.  The proposed colliery would have the potential
to produce five-million tons a year of coking coal, starting with
one-million tons a year and ramping up to full capacity by 2011.
The life-of-mine stretches beyond 2040.  Independent Power Producer
(IPP) Mulilo Energy is considering constructing a power station in
the area, although CoAL said it was not reliant on the sale of coal
to the power station to make the project feasible.  The power
station would ultimately produce about 900 MW, and initial designs
show that it would be located directly below the CoAL tenement area. 

¶15. (U) The Mapungubwe National Park is a game reserve and home to
the archaeological treasure of Mapungubwe, a kingdom predating that
of Great Zimbabwe.  Mapungubwe was the base of a trading empire that
traded with the people of China, India, Egypt and Persia, exchanging
ivory, gold around the year 1200.  The Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
became South Africa's fifth World Heritage site in July 2003, and in
May 2004, it was officially announced as the Mapungubwe National
Park.  The site was discovered in 1933, and is said to be where an
Iron Age metropolis was ruled by an African king almost one thousand
years ago.  Mapungubwe National Park Manager Tshimangadzo Nehemani
said the Park had 26 000 visitors in 2007.  A new interpretation
centre will open by the end of this year, allowing the public to
view the gold work uncovered at the site, including the world-famous
tiny golden rhino, a gold scepter and gold bowl. 

¶16. (U) Coal of Africa (CoAL) Chief Operations Officer Riaan van der
Merwe stated in a community meeting that the project would create
14,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities during the
construction phase and 30,000 direct and indirect jobs during the
operational phase.  Local business owners have complained that the
CoAL still has not addressed concerns raised at previous meetings,
including the need for an environmental impact assessment study on
how local roads would be affected by coal-hauling trucks and dust
from the coal.  Mopane Bush Lodge Manager Paul Hatty said, "We have
such a beautiful environment here.  The atmosphere is clean and all
of that will be wiped out by the coal business."   Hatty added that
the lodge, which is seven kilometers from the proposed mine site,
drew over one hundred international visitors last year, all of whom
visited the heritage site.  He said, "We will lose our clients as no
sane person will pay money to be swallowed by coal dust." 

¶17. (U) Vhembe District Municipal Councilor Mapulanka Baloi welcomed
the proposal, saying it would benefit many people.  He added that
the mine would create new levels of economic development and
employment and bring the province to a new level of prosperity.  Van
der Merwe emphasized that CoAL would manage the mine in accordance
with mining environmental regulations.  Hatty responded that "Even
with the best environmental controls, the environmental degradation
caused by coal mining, similar to that around Witbank, will kill any
hopes of growing tourism, both international and local, to this
prime pristine area of Africa."   Local businesses and residents
also fear that if this project is approved, more coal mines would be
Qalso fear that if this project is approved, more coal mines would be
established in the area.  Hatty said, "Anglo Coal has already
purchased four farms even closer to the National Park and Heritage
Site, and three other farms next to Mapungubwe Park entrance show
promising signs of exploitable coal." 

---------------
Monthly Factoid
--------------- 

¶18. (U) In 2002 South African internet entrepreneur Mark
Shuttleworth, then age 28, became Africa's first astronaut.  Three
years later Google adopted Shuttleworth's Ubuntu software as its
in-house operating system.
www.southafrica.info/about/414421.htm#innovat ions 

LA LIME

They are probably referring to Goobuntu. █

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Links 11/9/2011: Linux Tablets for Just $159, Sakai Open Academic Environment (OAE) Reaches 1.0.0

Posted in News Roundup at 8:07 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

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IRC Proceedings: September 10th, 2011

Posted in IRC Logs at 5:02 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Enter the IRC channels now

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Cablegate: Turkey’s Patents Trajectory on Bad TRIPS

Posted in Cablegate, Europe at 4:48 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Turkey’s route into patents as mentioned repeatedly in diplomatic cables from Ankara

YESTERDAY we went through and accumulated several Cablegate cables from Turkey. As part of becoming a good citizen/member of the European Union, Turkey has been changing some of its domestic and foreign inclinations. Patents appear to be among those.

The cables say that “Turkey is a signatory to a number of international conventions, including the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Strasbourg Agreement.

“In accordance with the 1995 patent law and Turkey’s agreement with the EU, patent protection for pharmaceuticals began on January 1, 1999. Turkey has been accepting patent applications since 1996 in compliance with the TRIPS agreement “mailbox” provisions. The patent law does not, however, contain interim protection for pharmaceuticals in the research and development “pipeline”.”

The phrases above are repeated in many cables, the latest of which is this:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Cablegate: Japan Working to Cultivate More Patent Monopolies in China, Rooting for Global Patent System (With Software Patents)

Posted in Asia, Cablegate, Law, Patents at 4:25 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: A 5-year-old vision of a world where patent lawsuits can be filed globally and the rules on patents not prescribed based on domestic interests

The United States and Japan are the primary two countries that foster software patents, with perhaps a few more on the verge, e.g. Korea (see this recent trade agreement).

The following Cablegate cable states that “JIPA’s goal is to improve the quality of patent examination in China as the Chinese government rapidly increases the number of patent examiners to correspond to the increased number of patent applications filed in China.”

It also alludes to the EU Patent when it says that “JIPA strongly supports the Trilateral Initiative — which he referred to as a “Global Patent System” — of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), US Patent Office (USPTO) and the EU Patent Office (EUPO) to establish a system of sharing examination results so that a patent applicant could use the examination results from one patent office to petition for expedited processing in another office. He noted that similar discussions were taking place within WIPO but were going nowhere because of the huge differences in approach and capabilities.”

This cable from 2006 is added below in its entirety.

VZCZCXRO4870
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0617/01 0340831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030831Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8244
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0390
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2747
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 5615
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7468
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 4409
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 7056
RUESLE/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 1972
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1179

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000617 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

STATE for EAP/J, EAP/EP, EB/TPP/MTA/IP
USDOC for DAS HLevine 

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR [Intellectual Property Rights], ECON [Economic Conditions], ETRD [Foreign Trade], JP
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IPR ASSOCIATION FOCUSSED ON CHINA AND
PATENTS 

¶1.  SUMMARY:  The Japan Intellectual Property Association
(JIPA) is concentrating its international efforts on: 1)
combating Chinese counterfeits of Japanese products and
2) promoting an international mutual recognition system
for patent searches, according to Secretary-General Hideo
Doi in a recent meeting with EconOff.  In China JIPA is
running several training programs aimed at Chinese
Customs, Trademark, and Patent officials, and is
compiling a database of people convicted of IPR crimes in
China for the use of the Chinese government.
End Summary 

¶2.  BACKGROUND: The Japan Intellectual Property
Association (JIPA) considers itself the world's largest
IPR industry organization with over a thousand members
representing large and medium chemical, electronics, and
manufacturing firms in Japan.  Among its international
outreach programs, JIPA offers training in China, Taiwan,
Thailand, and Korea.  The current JIPA president Naoto
Kuji comes from Honda, (which has been concerned about
counterfeit auto parts in China) and will be replaced
this year by Kazuo Kamisugi of Wako Chemicals, a chemical
and pharmaceutical manufacturer. 

JIPA Activities in China 

¶3.  JIPA has shifted its strategy in China to what Doi
called a carrot and stick approach because it realized
that just demanding that China improve its IPR
environment was counter-productive.  Therefore, JIPA,
working closely with the Japanese government (MOFA, METI,
JETRO),  has developed a broad program to work with
Chinese officials to improve IPR enforcement including: 

(a)  Training Customs Officials to distinguish between
authentic and fake goods.  JIPA also helped compile a how-
to manual for the training. 

(b)  Training Trademark Bureau officials on how to combat
trademark infringements.  In early 2006, JIPA also plans
a study session with the Trademark Bureau to address the
issue of unclear standards for determining trademark
infringements.  (Doi explained that Chinese manufacturers
are producing numerous fakes using look-alike or sound-
alike brands, e.g. Hongda, instead of Honda.) 

(c)  Training Chinese Patent Office examiners to improve
their skills and knowledge.  JIPA provided technical
training on patents for advanced technology in both
automobiles and electronics in 2005.  JIPA's goal is to
improve the quality of patent examination in China as the
Chinese government rapidly increases the number of patent
examiners to correspond to the increased number of patent
applications filed in China. 

(d)  Compiling a database of names of people who have
been convicted of IPR crimes by various security agencies
in China.  Doi observed that IPR criminals tend to repeat
their crimes, so JIPA decided to provide the Chinese
government with a comprehensive database that could be
shared by different Chinese government agencies. 

Japanese firms concerns 

¶4.  Japanese firms in China have been most concerned with
counterfeiting of industrial products such as automobile
parts, home electronics/appliances, and industrial
equipment.  Doi also noted that a couple of years ago
most Japanese companies did not think it was worth the
expense to file a law suit for IPR infringement because
of the ineffectiveness of the Chinese courts, but that
now more Japanese companies are willing to file suits and
go to court. 

¶5.  Doi added that JIPA and its members have been working
closely with the US Embassy and the American Chamber of
Commerce in Beijing because their concerns and approaches
are very similar. 

Rooting for a "Global Patent System" 

TOKYO 00000617  002 OF 002 

¶6.  JIPA strongly supports the Trilateral Initiative --
which he referred to as a "Global Patent System" -- of
the Japan Patent Office (JPO), US Patent Office (USPTO)
and the EU Patent Office (EUPO) to establish a system of
sharing examination results so that a patent applicant
could use the examination results from one patent office
to petition for expedited processing in another office.
He noted that similar discussions were taking place
within WIPO but were going nowhere because of the huge
differences in approach and capabilities. 

SCHIEFFER

It is this kind of patent globalisation that can further suppress the 5 billion or so people who are already denied access to crucial knowledge. █

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