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1 Protect Your Freedom to Write Programs
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2 Join the League for Programming Freedom
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3 (Version of February 3, 1994)
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4
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5 Ten years ago, programmers were allowed to write programs using all
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6 the techniques they knew, and providing whatever features they felt
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7 were useful. This is no longer the case. New monopolies, known as
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8 software patents and interface copyrights, have taken away our freedom
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9 of expression and our ability to do a good job.
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10
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11 "Look and feel" lawsuits attempt to monopolize well-known command
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12 languages; some have succeeded. Copyrights on command languages
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13 enforce gratuitous incompatibility, close opportunities for
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14 competition, and stifle incremental improvements.
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15
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16 Software patents are even more dangerous; they make every design
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17 decision in the development of a program carry a risk of a lawsuit,
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18 with draconian pretrial seizure. It is difficult and expensive to
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19 find out whether the techniques you consider using are patented; it is
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20 impossible to find out whether they will be patented in the future.
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21
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22 The League for Programming Freedom is a grass-roots organization of
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23 professors, students, businessmen, programmers and users dedicated to
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24 bringing back the freedom to write programs. The League is not
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25 opposed to the legal system that Congress expressly established for
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26 software--copyright on individual programs. Our aim is to reverse the
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27 recent changes that prevent programmers from doing their work.
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28
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29 The League works to abolish the new monopolies by publishing articles,
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30 talking with public officials, denouncing egregious offenders, and
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31 filing amicus curiae briefs, most notably against Lotus in its suit
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32 against Borland. We testified twice at the recent Patent Office
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33 hearings on software patents. We welcome suggestions for other
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34 activities, as well as help in carrying them out.
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35
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36 Membership dues in the League are $42 per year for programmers,
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37 managers and professionals; $10.50 for students; $21 for others.
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38 Please give more if you can. The League's funds will be used for
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39 filing briefs; for printing handouts, buttons and signs; whatever will
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40 persuade the courts, the legislators, and the people. You may not get
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41 anything personally for your dues--except for the freedom to write
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42 programs. The League is a non-profit corporation, but not considered
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43 a tax-exempt charity. However, for those self-employed in software,
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44 the dues can be a business expense.
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45
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46 The League needs both activist members and members who only pay their
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47 dues. We also greatly need additional corporate members; contact us
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48 for information.
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49
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50 If you have any questions, please write to the League, phone
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51 +1 617 621 7084, or send Internet mail to lpf@uunet.uu.net.
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52
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53 Chris Hofstader, President
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54 Dean Anderson, Secretary
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55 Aubrey Jaffer, Treasurer
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56
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57 Chris Hofstader can be reached at (617) 492-0023; FAX (617) 497-1632.
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58 To join, please send a check and the following information to:
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59
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60 League for Programming Freedom
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61 1 Kendall Square #143
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62 P.O.Box 9171
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63 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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64
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65 (Outside the US, please send a check in US dollars on a bank
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66 having a US correspondent bank, to save us check cashing fees.)
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67
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68 Your name:
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69
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70
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71 The address for League mailings, a few each year; please indicate
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72 whether it is your home address or your work address:
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73
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74
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75
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76 The company you work for, and your position:
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77
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78
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79 Your phone numbers (home, work or both):
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80
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81
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82 Your email address, so we can contact you for demonstrations or for
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83 writing letters. (If you don't want us to contact you for these
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84 things, please say so, but please give us your email address anyway
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85 so we can save paper and postage by sending you the newsletter by email.)
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86
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87
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88 Is there anything about you which would enable your endorsement of the
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89 LPF to impress the public? For example, if you are or have been a
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90 professor or an executive, or have written software that has a good
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91 reputation, please tell us.
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92
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93
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94
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95 Would you like to help with LPF activities?
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96
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97
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98
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99
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100 The corporate charter of the League for Programming Freedom states:
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101
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102 The purpose of the corporation is to engage in the following
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103 activities:
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104
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105 1. To determine the existence of, and warn the public about
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106 restrictions and monopolies on classes of computer programs where such
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107 monopolies prevent or restrict the right to develop certain types of
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108 computer programs.
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109
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110 2. To develop countermeasures and initiatives, in the public interest,
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111 effective to block or otherwise prevent or restrain such monopolistic
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112 activities including education, research, publications, public
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113 assembly, legislative testimony, and intervention in court proceedings
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114 involving public interest issues (as a friend of the court).
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115
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116 3. To engage in any business or other activity in service of and
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117 related to the foregoing paragraphs that lawfully may be carried on
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118 by a corporation organized under Chapter 180 of the Massachusetts
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119 General Laws.
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120
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121 The officers and directors of the League will be elected annually by
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122 the members.
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