LibraryTechtonics

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted a bit to their blog last week about the Nonprofit Innovation Alliance:

Reason #85,0027 That Business-Method Patents Suck

[EFF: Deep Links 24 mar '05]
A newly minted organization called the Nonprofit Innovation Alliance (NIA) has clever plan for keeping business-method patents out of the nonprofit arena. It’s rounding up all the leading technology and consulting companies that help nonprofits use the Internet, then forging an alliance in which every member agrees to cross-license any current and future business-method patents on a royalty-free basis.

Remember how Jessamyn said to learn the term DRM? This organization is a good example of why it’s important to understand digital rights management, and how it will affect libraries.

So why should libraries be worried about business-method patents?

Leading Charities Take Stand Against Business Method Patents, Join Fight To Promote Technology Access For Nonprofits
[Nonprofit Innovation Alliance 21 mar '05]
The NIA consists of leading technology and consulting companies that provide products, services and/or consulting to help nonprofits optimize their use of the Internet for fundraising, advocacy, event management and other mission-critical activities. Alliance members agree to cross-license any current and future business method patents on a royalty-free basis for the benefit of their nonprofit customers.

Viewed by many to be a scourge in the for-profit world, business method patents would be even more so for the nonprofit sector. Instead of protecting a real technology invention, these patents typically cover a process of doing business on the Internet. Such patents, prone to abuse, could result in nonprofits spending much more out of every dollar raised on license fees to use the Internet for fundraising, communicating with constituents, advocating for public policies and managing events such as walks, runs and galas. Alternatively, to avoid the impact of royalty payments to business method patent holders or the threat of being sued, nonprofits may choose sub-optimal technology solutions.

This sounds like something that major library organizations (there are so many, ALA, SLA, ASIS&T, etc.) should be involved in, since libraries are suffering financially, and if libraries are going to stay ahead of the curve to better serve patrons, libraries will need access to technology. This is also a good reason for libraries to get involved with open source technologies supported by established and vigilant developer communities.

Tags: technology