Greens-EFA Conference: "Free software and software patents?"

When?

Thu 2nd June 2005, from 9h00 to 13h00

Where?

European Parliament Brussels - Spinelli building - Petra Kelly Room - ASP 01G2

Registration

Registration is mandatory: http://greens-efa.org/pdf/agenda/Freesoftwareandsoftwarepatents/index.php

Announce

The "Software Patents" Directive is back in the European Parliament. It will be adopted by the Committee on Legal Affairs on June 20/21th. The plenary session will adopt the text in second reading on July 5th. This conference takes place at a crucialmoment of the intense debate on the software patents.

The impact software patents would have on Free Software is one of the key elements of the debate. Could Free/Libre/Open-Source software (FLOSS) still florish in the European Union if the Directive legalizes software patents? We've gathered key representatives of the FLOSS community, from the public sector, private sector, and civil society, to debate this topic.

The conference will be followed by a buffet on Square du Luxembourg. Later the same day a demonstration against software patents will take place and we invite all of you to attend.

Programme

Keynote speech : Richard M. Stallman, Free Software Foundation

Panel I: Patents and FLOSS

Brian Kahin, Board Member of the Public Patent Foundation
Robert Sutor, Vice President for Open Standards and Open Source Software, IBM Corporation: IBM's patent policy
Jason Schultz, Electronic Fronteer Foundation : Patent Hit List
David Sant, European Patent Office

Panel II: FLOSS-based commerce