Free Trade Agreements - Bad for Free/Open Source Software?

Free Trade Agreements can have clauses that can be very damaging to the local software industries which are often overlooked by policy makers concentrating on other market segments.

These clauses such as recognition of Software Patents and recognition of partner countries submissions and respective laws on it can stifle technology industries of developing countries. Biotechnology and ICT and other so called knowledge industries can be wiped out and barriers to entry raised by adopting some of these FTA clauses. ICT and knowledge based industries presents some of the best opportunities for developing countries to acquire technology through adoption of practicies that promote access and transfer of technology such as Free and Open Source Software.

Pia Waugh from Linux Australia shared with us some very useful resources for those of us representing the FOSS industry here in Malaysia. They are very helpful towards understanding the kind of problems that FTAs can cause.

The FTA - Bad for Open Source?

http://linux.org.au/projects/fta

Edit: thanks to aizato/ditesh for pointing out the correct link