p2pnet - rss feed: Peru agrees open source bill
p2p news / p2pnet: Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo has signed a bill which will stop any public institution from buying computer equipment that ties users to a particular type of software or “in any manner limits information autonomy”.
Essentially, that means Bill and the Boyz.
The bill’s sponsor, congressman Edgar Villanueva, has been trying for three years to get it passed but Microsoft and powerful Peruvian software companies had blocked it.
Then in September, the country’s congress voted 61-0 to approve legislation, but there was a chance that Toledo might not go for it.
“The legislation, which Peru’s Congress approved in September, allows government agencies and schools to choose between proprietary software from companies like Microsoft or Oracle, as well as open-source alternatives,” says CNET News.
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See:-
approve legislation - Peru to go open source, September 24, 2005
CNET News - Peru’s president approves open-source bill, October 21, 2005
October 24th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
Jon:a case study in obsession
October 25th, 2005 at 12:28 am
This is excellent news, now we just need the rest of the worlds governments to follow suit.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:30 am
well said
October 25th, 2005 at 6:23 am
Well it does set a kind of precedent. That could be a compelling argument i suppose.
Also the open doc “standard” that’s been set up recently. Remember most govt’s love standards and pointing out that they’re not complying to a standard should be a bit upsetting to them.
Just as long as open doc disallows “extensions” that aren’t automatically made part of the standard. That’s a famous “billy and da boyz” tactic from way back.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:01 am
I do believe this is as big or perhaps an even bigger blow to Apple.