Join Stallman and Software SMEs to refuse sofware patents - Mailing list pgsql-general
From | Jean-Michel POURE |
---|---|
Subject | Join Stallman and Software SMEs to refuse sofware patents |
Date | |
Msg-id | 200305010914.29855.jm.poure@freesurf.fr Whole thread Raw |
List | pgsql-general |
Dear members of the PostgreSQL Community, I registered the congress at the European Parliament (Brussels Thursday 8 May 2003 9:00-12:00 room ASP 1G2) to explain in 2 minutes how PostgreSQL and some of its offshots (pgAdmin & PhpPgAdmin) can benefit the economy. If you are interested in joining us, please contact directly Laurence van de Walle (Lvandewalle@europarl.eu.int) and CC me. A registration is needed to have access to the conference room, get a badge, etc... Best regards, Jean-Michel POURE ****************************************************************************** Join Stallman and Software SMEs to refuse sofware patents ! On May 8 morning in European Parliament in Brussels, innovative software companies such as MySQL, Galeco, Ilog, Opera ... will gather with Richard Stallman and MEPs from the Greens-efa Group to voice their concerns on the implications of software patents on SMEs. Software are currently protected by copyright but there is a project for a European directive to legalize patents on software (com 2002-092). Although many Members of Parliament are aware that the patent system is not suitable for sofware, the rapporteur Arlene McCarthy (UK, Labour) is in favour. If Europe would adopt a system similar to the American system, 30.000 software patents waiting to be legalized would be inforced. Patents favour huge companies that can affoard a legal department, therefore harming small and medium-sized enterprises that create most of the innovation in the IT field. Patents are expensive, cause a lot of administrative work, are granted slowly and for a long period, while the life cycle of sofwtare is short ... Moreover, patents kill the free and open source software. The patent system does not fit softwares. We call on software developpers, sofware companies, and all those who support copyright protection for software to come and address a clear signal to the European legislative body, shortly before the final vote takes place. After the conference a joyfull gathering on the theme "Free ideas for a Free World" with street theater and a buffet lunch is planned in front of the Parliament Place du Luxembourg. Registration and programme : Laurence Van de Walle Lvandewalle@europarl.eu.int +32-2-2841695 http://www.greens-efa.org This is part of a larger event "Software patents from legal worldplay to economic reality" with B. Kahin at the Dorint Hotel 7 May 14-18:00 organized by FFII !!!!!!!THANKS FOR HELPING WIDESPREADING !!!!!! SOFTWARE PATENTS AND EUROPEAN SME A conference co-organized by the Greens-efa and the Liberal Groups in European Parliament Brussels Thursday 8 May 2003 9:00-12:00 room ASP 1G2 9:00 Welcome address by Dany Cohn-Bendit MEP chair Green-efa and Graham Watson MEP Chair ELDR 9:15 "The Commission's proposal in a legal perspective" by R. Bakel, university of Amsterdam, co-author study Juri 107 With the participation of E. Plooij-Van Gorsel (ELDR, rapporteur ITRE) and M. Rocard (PSE, rapporteur CULT) to be confirmed 9: 45 "Economic consequences of software patents" by Ph. Aigrain, European Commission 10:00 Panel I : "Innovative SME and Software patents" : Case studies David Axmark, CEO MySQL (data bases) Sweden Hakon Wium Lie, CTO Opera (makes sofware for Nokia) Norway Pierre Haren, CEO Ilog (object-oriented software engineering) France Wojtek Narczynski CEO Power Media (Custom web software) Poland Thorsten Lemke, CEO Lemke Software (Graphic Converter) Germany nn, CEO Symlabs.com (identity manager) Portugal 11:00 Debate with MEPs, SMEs and the public 11:30 Keynote speach : Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU project : How Software Patents Affect Software Development 12:00 Conclusion by Graham Watson MEP and Dany Cohn-Bendit MEP After the conference a joyfull gathering on the theme "Free ideas for a Free World" with street theater and a buffet lunch is planned in front of the Parliament Place du Luxembourg. On May 7 afternoon a conference "Software patents from legal wording to economic reality" with B. Kahin and Lawrence Lessig will take place in Hotel Dorint Bd Charlemagne 11-19 Brussels
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