[Twisted-Python] Twisted is now under the MIT license.

[Mary Gardiner]

[this is quite off-topic, so I'll only reply the once. Please direct
future questions to Linux Australia's linux-aus list --
http://lists.linux.org.au/ -- rather than to me or twistedmatrix mailing
lists]

On Wed, Aug 25, 2004, Sergio Trejo wrote:
> Mary,
> 
> I am curious as to how Australians view U.S.-centric IPR issues such as 
> licenses (e.g., GPL/LGPL) and patents. I read yesterday on Slashdot (and 
> would need to confirm this yet) that Microsoft has filed some ungodly 
> amount of U.S. patents (I think 5,000). The IPR patent issue is a sticky 
> one lately in Europe and I'm curious about Australia / New Zealand 
> viewpoints.

Australia is a party to the Geneva convention, so copyright works
created in the United States are also copyright in Australia. The laws
are not *that* different. I don't think the validity of the Free
Software licences has ever been tested in Australian courts, but they
seem to be regarded as compatible with Australian copyright law.

Assuming that US Congress passes the recent amendments to the
US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, our software patenting and
anti-circumvention laws will also resemble those of the United States
although they are presently quite different and afford IP owners less
protection. (The amendments proposed by the Australian parliament at the
instigation of the Labor party in Opposition are designed to limit
certain uses of pharmaceutical patents, namely the practice known as
"evergreening". According to John Quiggin of http://www.johnquiggin.com/
the US does not like the proposed changes.  But I'm not following the
debate too closely, as I'm out of the country for three months. If it
does not pass soon it will be a election issue in the upcoming
Australian federal election.)

-Mary