Why Tribunals Imposing Corporate Sovereignty Are Even More Dangerous Than We Thought

Back in October, we introduced the term "corporate sovereignty" as an alternative to the standard but misleading phrase "investor-state dispute settlement" (ISDS) that is generally used. We noted that perhaps the worst manifestation of corporate sovereignty so far can be seen in Ecuador, where one of the secret tribunals used in these cases had ordered the Ecuadorean government to place Chevron above the country's constitution. 

On Techdirt.

Latin American Countries Band Together To Fight Growing Problem Of Investor-State Disputes

As Techdirt has observed, investor-state dispute resolution (ISDR) is turning into a major weapon that corporations can deploy against nations in order to claim damages for some alleged loss of future profits as a result of government action -- for example, stricter health or environmental regulations. Last year alone, 62 new investment arbitration cases were initiated against nations, and a record award of $1.77 billion was made against Ecuador. 

On Techdirt.

Ecuador Update

I wrote earlier this year about the rapid uptake of free software in Ecuador, which adds to the growing use of open source across Latin America. Here's a useful report on a Congress on Free Software and Democratisation of Knowledge held in Quito recently, which provides plenty of info on what's happening in that part of the world:

Ecuador started later than other South America countries to promote official adoption of Free Software, but it’s doing the best it can to catch up. A recent presidential decree demands that many central Public Administration migrate to use exclusively Free Software. This was one of the first thing we heard in the opening speech. In the same occasion, Fr Filiberto Gonzalez Plascencia, Salesian Councillor for Social Communication, pointed out how Salesians want to promote Free/Open Source software because of the important role it can play in the democratization of knowledge and in “educommunication” or education to communication, both fields where they want to play an active role. Even in the closing speech Dr Edgar Loyola, Vice Rector of UPS, renewed the committment of the University for the spread of the knowledge and use of Free Software.

Latin America Girds its (Free) Loins

More hopeful signs of increasing activity around free software from Latin America. This time, it's the International Congress of Free Software and Democratization of Knowledge, held in Ecuador:

Del 21 al 24 de noviembre del 2008 se realizó en Quito Ecuador y fue organizado por la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana.

...

El evento estuvo expectacular con representantes de gobiernos como Ecuador, Venezuela, Brasil y Extremadura. Miembros de las comunidades de Educalibre, Gleducar, Slec, Somos Libre, entre otros.

[Via Google Translate: From 21 to November 24, 2008 took place in Quito and Ecuador was organized by the Salesian Polytechnic University.

...

The event was expectacular with representatives of governments like Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Extremadura. Members of the communities of Educalibre, Gleducar, SLEC, We Are Free, among others.]

More details about the individual days from page linked to above.

Open Enterprise Interview with Ryan Bagueros, North-by-South

On Open Enterprise blog.

Ecuador Goes Free

It's easy to focus on the dramatic bad news - like the OOXML shenanigans - and overlook the quiet success stories. Like the announcement that the Presidente of Ecuador, Rafael Correa Delgado, has just signed a decree making the use of open source the default policy for government:

El Presidente de la República, Rafael Correa, mediante decreto No. 1014 de 10 de abril del 2008, establece como política pública para las entidades de la administración pública central la utilización de Software Libre en sus sistemas y equipamientos informáticos.

[Via Google Translate:

The President of the Republic, Rafael Correa, by decree no. 1014 of April 10, 2008, establishes as public policy for institutions of the central administration, the use of free software in their computer systems and equipment.]

There are just three situations in which it is permissible to use proprietary software:

Además el decreto faculta la utilización de software propietario (no Libre), únicamente cuando no exista una solución de Software Libre que supla las necesidades requeridas, o cuando esté en riesgo la seguridad nacional, o cuando el proyecto informático se encuentre en un punto de no retorno.

[In addition, the decree authorizes the use of proprietary software (Free), only when there is no solution to free software to fill the needs required, or when national security at risk, or when the computer project is at a point of no return.]

It's not every day you see Stallman's "Four Freedoms" included in a presidential decree:

Se conoce como Software Libre a los programas de computación que se pueden utilizar y distribuir sin restricción alguna y que permiten su acceso a los códigos y fuentes y que sus aplicaciones pueden ser mejoradas.

Los programas de computación incluyen las siguientes libertades; utilización del programa con cualquier propósito de uso común; distribución de copias sin restricción alguna; estudio y modificación del programa (requisito: código fuente disponible); y publicación del programa mejorado (requisito; código fuente disponible).

[It is known as Free Software to software that can be used and distributed without any restrictions and allowing her access to the codes and sources and their applications can be improved.

The software includes the following freedoms; use the software for any purpose in common use; distributing copies without restriction; study and modification of the program (requirement: source available), and publication of the enhanced programme (requirement; source available ).]
(Via Esteban Mendieta Jara.)

The New Richard Stallman

It's hard to tell whether it's because RMS has changed, or whether the world has changed, but something is new here: RMS is starting to engage with politicians at the highest levels.

For example, a few months back I wrote about his meeting with Ségolène Royal - who, as I and many others predicted, is now officially a candidate for the French Presidential elections.

Now here's RMS hobnobbing with Rafael Correa, the new president of Ecuador. I had to laugh at this description:

Stallman spoke for almost 20 minutes, without Correa saying anything, just listening.

So some things remain the same.

In any case, the result seems good:

When Stallman finished speaking, there were a few questions, and a short conversations where the two of them were in agreement on everything, and Correa asked his advisers if Ecuador should migrate to free software. They said yes, and everyone, including Stallman, left the meeting with a broad smile on their faces.

(Via Linux and Open Source Blog.)