The AMERICAN OPEN TECHNOLOGY CONSORTIUM AND GEEKPACDRAFT OF PROPOSAL/POSITION STATEMENT

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

http://www.thelinuxshow.com/otc.htm

Proposal for the creation of TWO Entities
The AMERICAN OPEN TECHNOLOGY CONSORTIUM AND GEEKPAC DRAFT OF
PROPOSAL/POSITION STATEMENT (Revised 4/15/2002)

snip

The Internet community and its friends have been relatively effective on
some political issues, notably in its opposition to government censorship
and cryptographic export controls. However, on other issues even closer to
community concerns, we have not yet mobilized effectively and are now
under severe threat. We have largely fought off direct government
controls, but now face an attempted takeover by corporate monopolists
using government as their tool.

snip

Recently that empowering vision has come under concerted attack by
monopolists and corporate special interests with a very different agenda.
They want to lock down the Internet and replace it with a "content
delivery system" designed for little more than delivering
digital-rights-managed media streams to passive couch potatoes who were
probably already happy with their cable TV service.

When you consider the fact that the IT industry now represents over $600
billion in revenues to our economy, and the entertainment industry
represents about $20 billion, you wonder why Congress is considering
crippling digital devices with copyright laws. When you consider the
failure of the RBOC,s and Cable TV industries combined failure at
delivering Broadband to consumers in large scale, you wonder why all the
legislation to reward these two industries and destroy the ISP community.

snip

The proposed CBDTPA does not merely reprise the numerous sins and errors
of the SSSCA, it would actively reward Microsoft by federally mandating
so-called "rights-management" technology on which Microsoft holds a
blocking patent. In other words, at the very same time that the DOJ
appears to be contriving a way to let Microsoft escape the consequences of
illegally exerting monopoly power, Senator Hollings is proposing that
another branch of our government pass a bill that creates a new monopoly
for Microsoft.

The first of these organizations we propose to create will be the American
Open Technology Consortium. The role of this organization will be to raise
and allocate funds for the purpose of educating the public and people in
political office on technology related issues, in accordance with our
common beliefs and ideals. The focus of this organization is domestic, and
so we invite groups from around the world to form OTC groups of their own.

GeekPAC is the second proposed entity and is intended as a funding channel
to directly affect the outcome of elections and legislation. The actions
of GeekPAC will include (but not be limited to) the purchase of political
advertising that may impact the outcome of elections or legislation and
direct lobbying to congress, including the hiring of lobbyists to
represent members. Further actions may include contributing directly to
political campaigns of people seeking local, state or national office.
GeekPAC will be a registered Political Action Committee (PAC).