[governance] RE: Licensing Dispute Threatens Future of Skype

[Michael Gurstein]

Hugely popular would appear to be something of an understatement... 

According to one of the articles discussing this, Skype currently has 480
MILLION subscribers i.e. roughly 8% of all the people on earth and probably
50% of all those currently connected to or otherwise using the Internet!

My guess as well is that the role of Skype as a "necessary" (public) service
is rather greater in LDC's than in Developed Countries; among NGO's,
non-profits and at the grassroots rather than for corporate communicators;
and as part of the glue that makes globalization "for everyone else" (viz.
the non-Walmarts of the world) work i.e. for national and international
migrants, small export/import operators, non-tour based international
travellers, conference goers, international volunteers and technical
assistance workers etc.etc.

Hmmm.. Maybe it is too big to fail... My guess is that if the
socio-demography of users relying on it as a primary communications vehicle
were skewed towards the other end of the income/influence pyramid
legislators would be very actively looking at ways of maintaining it as a
necessary public service...

MBG

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey A. Williams [mailto:jwkckid1 at ix.netcom.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 11:23 PM, 
To: Governance/IGC; Eric Dierker
Cc: Parminder; Carlton Samuels; Roland Perry; Michael Gurstein; McTim
Subject: Licensing Dispute Threatens Future of Skype


All,

  Seems to me that Skype and it's original founders seem to wish to torpedo
their own creation.  That seems like a poor judgment to me and as such
demonstrates rather weak leadership.

See: http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/07/31/0714232

"eBay is faced with the prospect of having to close
down the hugely popular VoIP app Skype due to its reliance on proprietary
code still owned by Skype's original founders, who are
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/shock-threat-to-shut-skype-2009
0731-e3qe.html
threatening to pull the plug on the licensing agreement they have with
eBay."

Regards,

Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 284k members/stakeholders strong!)
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