Wien 2004-05-12 Conference & demonstration on Software Patents
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Organisers
Place
WKO The conference was held at the WKO, which is the austrian chamber of commerce. All businesses in Austria are a member of it.
Press conference 16:45-17:15
mr. Moser
leaded the conference
Richard Stallman
explained why software idea patents are bad for software developement
Othmar Karas
MEP from the conservative ÖVP party
Gerhard Havlik
From the open-source experts group at the WKO. In his first talk on press conference ha said that the WKO is going to make a strong statement against software patents. Then he also talked again at the end of the press conference, that they must think over the problem because they "might lose a lot of jobs", which was somehow confusing.
Mercedes Echerer
MEP from the Greens party at the European Parliment Explained in a very simple, convincing language why there should be no software idea patents. She is very good at speaking in a simple way, so the message is understood by everybody. Unfortunately she is not candidating again.
Public conference 17:20-18:00
Othmar Karas
MEP from the conservative ÖVP party. Said that he is very much against software patents. Explained that politics in the EU parliment is much more individual than in Austrian national parliment, and MEP have more freedom to vote individual way, there is no strong party line. He is trying to influence the ministers in the Council, and will continue to do that.
Richard Stallman
Presented a lecture about the destructing influence of software idea patents on software development.
Angelika Gößler
Speaker from the Open-Source experts group at the WKO.
Walking demonstration from the WKO to the EPO office
Launch of baloons with "NO software patents" message
Ballons got stuck on tramway wires before EPO windows - so they'll stay there for EPO people to see next days (look at 64.jpeg). http://www.miernik.ctnet.pl/noswpat/photos/wien/
Richard Stallman
Speach, answering questions.
Jan Macek
Explains what will happen 2004-05-17, and urged the demonstration participants to put pressure on their ministries.
