Freedom

A Patently Good Idea

- Adam Clare

Over at Slashdot there is an interesting discussion about a not for profits wanting comapnies to give them access to the companies unused patents. Even state governments (in the USA) support this.

I think this is a great idea because having patents just sitting around stifles the economy and creative development; all the patent holders get out of this is a lack of competition.

Countless patents — including the one used to start up Kotecha’s company, Yokit — sit unused when companies decide not to develop them into products. Now, not-for-profit groups and state governments are asking companies to donate dormant patents so they can be passed to local entrepreneurs who try to build businesses out of them.

Consumers Should Consume Fair Trade Consumables

- Adam Clare

In the UK, people are being urged to buy more fair trade products to make the world better. Things are going well so far when looking at the numbers. As always there is room for improvement.

According to the latest data meanwhile, sales of Fairtrade tea increased by 50 percent in Britain last year, while coffee and banana sales each grew by 39 percent.

The variety of Fairtrade products surged also, with more than 2,500 retail and catering products now available from over 260 companies across Britain.

The amount of raw material used to make Fairtrade products rose by more than 60 percent in 2006 from the year before.

Thanks, Evan!

From Piracy to a Free Nation

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

The Pirate Bay wanted to buy Sealand or some other island to form their own nation or something along those lines. Anyway, as a result a group of Pirate Bay members (edit: the group started as a result of a conversation on the Pirate Bay and now has no association with the Bay) have decide to actually create their own free nation!

From the Freenation Foundation their mission is:
“To establish an ecologically sustainable society that provides the freedom to advance humanity through science, reason and cooperation.”

Alarming Al

- Vanessa King

good-ol-al.jpgMr Al Gore has been called an ‘alarmist’ by critics who don’t really believe the facts he is teaching about global warming. He’s not letting these negative comments hold him back! He has recently mobilized thousands of volunteers to spread the word and take action against letting the planet melt into oblivion. Sometimes being ‘alerted’ isn’t such a bad thing!

The goal had been to train 1,000 “presenters” to show slides of melting glaciers and charts of climbing temperatures, but many more have wanted in. Those selected to gather at the Hilton Nashville Downtown last week included teachers, doctors, a meteorologist, ministers, Wal-Mart employees, actress Cameron Diaz, architects, retirees, veterans and financiers.

Each volunteer is required to give at least 10 presentations within a year of the training. This is great proof that people are catching onto the importance of the global weather situation, and networking to try and help! Thats a whole lot of good!

The Lennon Files

- Agasel

An historian has finally received the remaining FBI documents on John Lennon, that were kept secret for decades.  Jon Wiener obtained 10 pages detailing the intense scrutiny Lennon received from the FBI.  Lennon.jpg

One report describes how two prominent British leftists tried to persuade Lennon to finance “a left-wing bookshop and reading room in London”, but Lennon gave them no money.

Another page states that there was “no certain proof” that Lennon had provided money “for subversive purposes.”

Wiener told the L.A. Times, “Today, we can see that the national security claims that the FBI has been making for 25 years were absurd from the beginning.”

Wiener had originally asked for the documents in 1981, a year after Lennon was killed.  The FBI originally provided some files showing how closely monitored he was from 1971-1972.  The rest were not given, for reasons of national security.  In addition, the Freedom of Information Act was declared to not apply.

Wiener sued the U.S. government and received some of the documents in 1997. In 2004, a judge ordered the FBI to hand over the remaining 10 pages.

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