The Centre for Internet and Society
http://editors.cis-india.org
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Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?
http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/dnbook
<b>Hivos and the Centre for Internet and Society have consolidated their three year knowledge inquiry into the field of youth, technology and change in a four book collective “Digital AlterNatives with a cause?”. This collaboratively produced collective, edited by Nishant Shah and Fieke Jansen, asks critical and pertinent questions about theory and practice around 'digital revolutions' in a post MENA (Middle East - North Africa) world. It works with multiple vocabularies and frameworks and produces dialogues and conversations between digital natives, academic and research scholars, practitioners, development agencies and corporate structures to examine the nature and practice of digital natives in emerging contexts from the Global South. </b>
<p></p>
<p><strong>I</strong><strong>ntroduction</strong></p>
<p>In the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century, we have witnessed the simultaneous growth of internet and digital
technologies on the one hand, and political protests and mobilisation on the
other. Processes of interpersonal relationships, social communication, economic
expansion, political protocols and governmental mediation are undergoing a
significant transition, across in the world, in developed and emerging
Information and Knowledge societies.</p>
<p>The young
are often seen as forerunners of these changes because of the pervasive and
persistent presence of digital and online technologies in their lives. The “
Digital Natives with a Cause?” is a research inquiry that uncovers the ways in
which young people in emerging ICT contexts make strategic use of technologies
to bring about change in their immediate environments. Ranging from personal
stories of transformation to efforts at collective change, it aims to identify
knowledge gaps that existing scholarship, practice and popular discourse around
an increasing usage, adoption and integration of digital technologies in
processes of social and political change.</p>
<p><strong>Methodology</strong></p>
<p>In 2010-11,
three workshops in Taiwan, South Africa and Chile, brought together around 80
people who identified themselves as Digital Natives from Asia, Africa and Latin
America, to explore certain key questions that could provide new insight into
Digital Natives research, policy and practice. The workshops were accompanied
by a ‘Thinkathon’ – a multi-stakeholder summit that initiated conversations
between Digital Natives, academic researchers, scholars, practitioners,
educators, policy makers and corporate representatives to share learnings on
new questions: Is one born digital or does one become a Digital Native? How do
we understand our relationship with the idea of a Digital Native? How do
Digital Natives redefine ‘change’ and how do they see themselves implementing
it? What is the role that technologies play in defining civic action and social
movements? What are the relationships
that these technology based identities and practices have with existing social
movements and political legacies? How do we build new frameworks of sustainable
citizen action outside of institutionalisation?</p>
<strong>
</strong>
<p><strong>Rationale</strong></p>
<p>One of the
knowledge gaps that this book tries to address is the lack of digital natives’
voices in the discourse around them. In the occasions that they are a part of
the discourse, they are generally represented by other actors who define the
frameworks and decide the issues which are important. Hence, more often than
not, most books around digital natives concentrate on similar sounding areas
and topics, which might not always resonate with the concerns that digital
natives and other stake-holders might be engaged with in their material and
discursive practice. The methodology of the workshops was designed keeping this
in mind. Instead of asking the digital natives to give their opinion or recount
a story about what we felt was important, we began by listening to their
articulations about what was at stake for them as e-agents of change. As a
result, the usual topics like piracy, privacy, cyber-bullying, sexting etc.
which automatically map digital natives discourse, are conspicuously absent
from this book. Their absence is not deliberate, but more symptomatic of how
these themes that we presumed as important were not of immediate concerns to
most of the participants in the workshop who are contributing to the book<strong>.</strong></p>
<strong>
</strong>
<p><strong>Structure</strong></p>
<p>The
conversations, research inquiries, reflections, discussions, interviews, and
art practices are consolidated in this four part book which deviates from the
mainstream imagination of the young people involved in processes of change. The
alternative positions, defined by geo-politics, gender, sexuality, class,
education, language, etc. find articulations from people who have been engaged
in the practice and discourse of technology mediated change. Each part
concentrates on one particular theme that helps bring coherence to a wide
spectrum of style and content.</p>
<p><strong>Book 1: To Be: Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? Download <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook1/at_download/file" class="external-link">here</a></strong></p>
<strong>
</strong>
<p>The first
part, <em>To Be</em>, looks at the questions
of digital native identities. Are digital natives the same everywhere? What
does it mean to call a certain population ‘Digital Natives”? Can we also look
at people who are on the fringes – Digital Outcasts, for example? Is it
possible to imagine technology-change relationships not only through questions
of access and usage but also through personal investments and transformations?
The contributions help chart the history, explain the contemporary and give ideas
about what the future of technology mediated identities is going to be.</p>
<strong>Book 2: To Think: Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? Download <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook2/at_download/file" class="external-link">here</a></strong><strong>
</strong>
<p>In the
second section, <em>To Think,</em> the
contributors engage with new frameworks of understanding the processes,
logistics, politics and mechanics of digital natives and causes. Giving fresh
perspectives which draw from digital aesthetics, digital natives’ everyday
practices, and their own research into the design and mechanics of technology
mediated change, the contributors help us re-think the concepts, processes and
structures that we have taken for granted. They also nuance the ways in which
new frameworks to think about youth, technology and change can be evolved and
how they provide new ways of sustaining digital natives and their causes.</p>
<p><strong>Book 3: To Act: Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? Download <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook3/at_download/file" class="external-link">here</a></strong></p>
<p><em>To Act</em> is the third part that concentrates on stories
from the ground. While it is important to conceptually engage with digital
natives, it is also, necessary to connect it with the real life practices that
are reshaping the world. Case-studies, reflections and experiences of people
engaged in processes of change, provide a rich empirical data set which is
further analysed to look at what it means to be a digital native in emerging
information and technology contexts.</p>
<strong>
</strong>
<p><strong>Book 4: To Connect : Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? Download <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook4/at_download/file" class="external-link">here</a></strong></p>
<p>The last
section, <em>To Connect</em>, recognises the
fact that digital natives do not operate in vacuum. It might be valuable to
maintain the distinction between digital natives and immigrants, but this
distinction does not mean that there are no relationships between them as
actors of change. The section focuses on the digital native ecosystem to look
at the complex assemblage of relationships that support and are amplified by
these new processes of technologised change.</p>
<p>We see this
book as entering into a dialogue with the growing discourse and practice in the
field of youth, technology and change. The ambition is to look at the digital
(alter)natives as located in the Global South and the potentials for social
change and political participation that is embedded in their interactions
through and with digital and internet technologies. We hope that the book
furthers the idea of a context-based digital native identity and practice,
which challenges the otherwise universalist understanding that seems to be the
popular operative right now. We see this as the beginning of a knowledge
inquiry, rather than an end, and hope that the contributions in the book will
incite new discussions, invoke cross-sectorial and disciplinary debates, and
consolidate knowledges about digital (alter)natives and how they work in the
present to change our futures<strong>.</strong></p>
<p><strong><a class="external-link" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/MyAccount_Login.aspx">Click here</a> to order your copy. We invite readers to contribute reviews of an essay they found particularly interesting. Contact us: nishant@cis-india.org and fjansen@hivos.nl if you want more information, resources, or dialogues</strong></p>
<p>Nishant
Shah</p>
<p>Fieke
Jansen</p>
<p><strong>For media coverage and book reviews,</strong> <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/media-coverage" class="external-link">read here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/dnbook'>http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/dnbook</a>
</p>
No publishernishantSocial mediaDigital ActivismRAW PublicationsCampaignDigital NativesAgencyBlank Noise ProjectFeaturedCyberculturesFacebookPublicationsBeyond the DigitalDigital subjectivitiesBooksResearchers at Work2015-04-10T09:22:29ZBlog EntryThe National Public Meeting on Software Patents
http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/the-national-public-meeting-on-software-patents
<b>On Saturday, October 4, 2008, the Centre for Internet and Society, with the support of eighteen other organization, held a meeting on the National Public Meeting on Software Patents in the United Theological College campus. The aim of the event was to explore various issues surrounding software patents, especially from the perspective of the draft Patent Manual.</b>
<p>After introductions by <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/../../about-us/people/staff/staff#sunil-abraham" class="external-link">Sunil Abraham</a> of CIS, the discussions were kicked off by <a class="external-link" href="http://www.nls.ac.in/faculty_sudhir.html">Sudhir Krishnaswamy</a> (an Assistant Professor at National Law School), who spoke about typology of laws; principle-based arguments for excluding software from patenting; policy-based arguments for the same; and lastly, strategies for combating the patent manual. About the rationale behind excepting software ("computer programmes <em>per se</em>") from patentability, he theorised that given the location of "computer programmes <em>per se</em>" in section 3(k) of the Act, surrounded as it is by "mathematical or business method" and "algorithms", the exception seems to be a principle-based one and not a policy-based one. He also talked about what he saw as the practical realities of the Patent Office, and questioned the role the Draft Manual would actually play in the decisions of Patent Examiners.<br /><br />He listed out economic arguments as:</p>
<ol><li>Inapplicability of the incentive arguments. The software industry does not need patents since copyright covers software, and even if incentives are required, that is incentive enough;</li><li>Return on investment. Short shelf-life, and hence 17-year patent terms are irrelevant when the shelf-life is so small;</li><li>New intermediaries are created, who are neither producers nor consumers of software. These intermediaries who help in price-discovery. They discover value in patents which were previously thought neglected by the process known as patent trolling. </li></ol>
<p><br />Apart from these, he also briefly talked of the legal arguments around software patents, and argued that the question is not only about copyright vs. patent, but also about property vs. contract. He asked questions such as: "What role does copyright play in the software industry, or is contract more important?", and pointed out that while this might have been addressed around a decade ago, those questions need to be revisited given the current scenario. Further, he proposed that the strategies should not revolve solely around the Patent Act and Draft Manual, but around pre- and post-grant oppositions as well.<br /><br /><img class="image-right" src="../NMoSP%20005.jpg/image_mini" alt="Prabir Purkayastha" />Prabir Purkayastha of the Delhi Science Forum and Knowledge Commons spoke next, giving a quick run-through of the history, both legal and philosophical, surrounding software patents in India and in the U.S. and Europe (pointing out that most of the wordings of Draft Manual on this point are borrowed from a similar document in the U.K.). He asked the question of why people are opposing software patents. Is it because it is damaging to 'public interest', because it bad for Indian domestic software industry, or because it is an abstract idea which is sought to be patented in the guise of something else? He concluded that ultimately it is not the manual that groups are opposing, but the notion of software patents themselves. Thus, he focussed on how the phrase <em>"per se</em>" used in the Act ought to be interpreted by the Patent Office so as to give credence to the Indian Parliament's rejection (in 2005) of the 2004 patent ordinance (in which section 3(k) read: "a computer programme <em>per se</em> other than its technical application to industry or a combination with hardware"). Lastly, he talked about the various strategies to be employed in the fight against software patents, including pre- and post-grant oppositions.<br /><br /><a class="external-link" href="http://www.gnu.org.in/about-fsf-india/whos-who">Dr. Nagarjuna G.</a> of the Free Software Foundation of India focussed on what he termed "the absurdity of software patents". He emphasised how software requires an interpreter or hardware, and hence talk of "software <em>per se</em>" often becomes meaningless. Further, he underlined how embedding software in hardware was not innovation in itself, and stressed ont he changing notions of software and hardware as we evolve technologically. His equation of software with abstract ideas gives us a glimpse into the foundation of his objection to software patents.<br /><br /><img class="image-left" src="../PrashantIyengar.jpg/image_mini" alt="Prashant Iyengar" />First up in the second session (which was more focussed on the manual, and the law in India) was <a class="external-link" href="http://www.altlawforum.org/OUR_TEAM/profile">Prashant Iyengar</a> of the Bangalore-based Alternative Law Forum. He first listed out the different kinds of objections to software patents, including the point that there are only limited ways of thinking about programming, as Donald Knuth's <em><a class="external-link" href="http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/taocp.html">The Art of Computer Programming</a> </em>shows. Then he went on to go through the history of software patents in India, from the first software patent, granted in 1996, through the 2002 Amendment, the 2004 Ordinance, the 2005 Amendment, and the 2005 and 2008 Draft Manuals. He looked at the vocabulary surrounding software patents, including the words "<em>per se</em>" and "as such", and the cases and legislations from which the language used in the Draft Manual might have been borrowed. He also started a fruitful debate on the different ways to attack the implicit inclusion of that which is not "computer programmes <em>per se</em>" within the scope of patentable subject matter.<br /><br />After Prashant was Venkatesh Hariharan of Red Hat. He spoke on the practical benefits and harms of software patents, and spoke at length about the difference between legal protection of software in the form of patents and via copyright. He pointed to data showing that lawyers are the ones who benefit most from software patents, and that software developers were the ones who suffered most. Pointing to such practical issues such as how does one go about coding a simple e-commerce transaction when more than 4000 patents have already been granted in that area, he brought down the level of discussion from abstract notions of laws and legalities to practical experiences of software programmers.<br /><br />Next, Pranesh Prakash of the Centre for Internet and Society made a presentation on a small sample of software patents that have been applied for in India, and pointed out the infirmities in both the patents that have been applied for, as well as the problems in uncovering these patents because of various errors on the Indian Patent Office website. Going through a few of the patent applications, he showed how a great number applications have very badly worded abstracts, filled with weasel words, whose sole purpose is obfuscating the fact that what is being applied for is a software patent. This, he pointed out, made it difficult to both determine the scope of the applications (subject matter) as well as the innovations contained in the invention (novelty and non-obviousness), and thus difficult to examine from the perspective of pre-grant oppositions.<br /><br />After these presentations, the meeting continued with the Open House session which had many people making presentations, including Abhas Abhinav of <a class="external-link" href="http://www.deeproot.co.in/">DeepRoot Linux</a>, Arun M. of <a class="external-link" href="http://www.gnu.org.in">FSF India</a>, and Joseph C. Matthew, who is the IT Adviser to the Chief Minister, Kerala. With the wrapping up of this session, the proceedings for the day came to a close.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>Coverage in the press<br /></h3>
<ul><li><a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/world-day-against-software-patents" class="internal-link" title="World Day Against Software Patents">The Hindu (September 25, 2008) - World Day Against Software Patents</a></li><li><a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/time-out-bengaluru-software-patenting" class="internal-link" title="Time Out Bengaluru - Software Patenting">Time Out Bengaluru (October 3, 2008) - Software Patenting</a></li><li><a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/software-patenting-will-harm-industry-consumer" class="internal-link" title="Software patenting will harm industry, consumer">The Hindu (October 5, 2008) - Software patenting will harm industry, consumer</a><br /></li></ul>
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<h3>Audio Recordings and Slides<br /></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents</li>
<ul><li>Sudhir Krishnaswamy (National Law School) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/02.%20Sudhir%20Krishnaswamy.mp3" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/02.%20Sudhir%20Krishnaswamy.ogg" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">ogg</a></li><li>Prabir Purkayastha(Delhi Sience Forum) (Knowledge Commons) |<a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/03.%20Prabir%20Purkayastha.mp3" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/03.%20Prabir%20Purkayastha.ogg" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">ogg</a></li><li>Nagarjuna G.(Free Software Foundation of India) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/04.%20Nagarjuna%20G..mp3" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/04.%20Nagarjuna%20G..ogg" class="internal-link" title="The Principles of Patent Law and Introduction to Software Patents">ogg</a></li></ul>
<li>Software Patents in India: The Indian Patent Act and the Draft Patent Manual</li>
<ul><li>Prashant Iyengar(Alternative Law Forum) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/05.%20Prashant%20Iyengar.mp3" class="internal-link" title="Software Patents in India - The Indian Patent Act and the Draft Patent Manual">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/05.%20Prashant%20Iyengar.ogg" class="internal-link" title="Software Patents in India - The Indian Patent Act and the Draft Patent Manual">ogg</a></li><li style="text-align: left;">Venkatesh Hariharan(Red Hat) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/06.%20Venkatesh%20Hariharan.mp3" class="internal-link" title="Software Patents in India - The Indian Patent Act and the Draft Patent Manual">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/06.%20Venkatesh%20Hariharan.ogg" class="internal-link" title="Software Patents in India - The Indian Patent Act and the Draft Patent Manual">ogg</a></li></ul>
<li>Software Patent Applications in India</li>
<ul><li>Pranesh Prakash (Centre for Internet and Society) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/07.%20Pranesh%20Prakash.mp3" class="internal-link" title="Presentation on Software Patents Applied for in India">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/07.%20Pranesh%20Prakash.ogg" class="internal-link" title="Presentation on Software Patents Applied for in India">ogg</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/pranesh-software-patents-draft.ppt" class="internal-link" title="software patent draft pranesh">ppt</a><br /></li></ul>
<li>Open House <br /></li>
<ul><li>Abhas Abhinav (DeepRoot Linux) | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/08.%20Abhas%20Abhinav.mp3" class="internal-link" title="Open House">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/09.%20Arun%20M..mp3" class="internal-link" title="Open House">ogg</a></li></ul>
<ul><li>Arun M.(Free Software Foundation of India)| <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/09.%20Arun%20M..mp3" class="internal-link" title="Open House">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/09.%20Arun%20M..ogg" class="internal-link" title="Open House">ogg</a></li><li>Joseph Mathew (IT Adviser to the Chief Minister, Kerala)| <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/10.%20Joseph%20Mathew.mp3" class="internal-link" title="Open House">mp3</a> | <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/uploads/10.%20Joseph%20Mathew.ogg" class="internal-link" title="Open House">ogg</a></li></ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/the-national-public-meeting-on-software-patents'>http://editors.cis-india.org/openness/blog-old/the-national-public-meeting-on-software-patents</a>
</p>
No publisherpraneshConferenceCampaignSoftware PatentsFLOSSOpennessMeeting2011-08-23T03:02:56ZBlog EntrySoftware Day Info
http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom-info
<b>An information about the competition.</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom-info'>http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom-info</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaConferenceWorkshopCampaignAccess to Knowledge2011-08-22T13:24:42ZFileSoftware Day Poster
http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom
<b>A poster of the event.</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom'>http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-freedom</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaCampaignAccess to Knowledge2011-08-22T13:24:20ZFileSoftware Patents and the Commons
http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-patent
<b>Seminar on Software Patents and the Commons in Delhi</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-patent'>http://editors.cis-india.org/a2k/publications/software-patent</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaCampaignAccess to Knowledge2011-08-22T13:23:57ZFileAn Invitation to the Right to Read Campaign
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/right-to-read-campaign
<b>CIS is organizing a "Right to Read" campaign in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 30th January 2010.</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/right-to-read-campaign'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/right-to-read-campaign</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccessibilityCampaign2011-08-22T13:18:58ZFileDeclaration - Right to Read Campaign
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/Declaration%20-%20Right%20to%20Read.doc
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/Declaration%20-%20Right%20to%20Read.doc'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/Declaration%20-%20Right%20to%20Read.doc</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaAccessibilityCampaign2011-08-22T13:10:20ZFile