[Linux-bruxelles] Rappel "Manifestation" de demain contre le brevet Logiciel (Bxl)

[Alexandre Dulaunoy]

http://wiki.ael.be/index.php/ManifAgainstSoftwarePatents

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 is  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 software, the  rapporteur Arlene Mc
Carthy (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  enforced. Patents
favour huge  companies that can  afford 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  software is short  ... Moreover, patents  kill the
free  and  open  source  software.  The patent  system  does  not  fit
software.  Software is  already  protected by  copyright.  Why is  our
industry the  ONLY industry  that needs to  be punished with  a double
Intellectual Property 'protection' system?? 

We call on software developers,  software 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 joyful  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 program:

 Registration:
 Laurence Van de Walle
 mail: Lvandewalle at europarl.eu.int
 Phone: +32-2-2841695
 http://www.greens-efa.org/en/agenda/detail.php?id=998&lg=en

Program:

 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

 Hour Description 
 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 

        * When  is  registration  deadline?   A  page  with  a  little
	explanation on how it works (stand in line for a badge etc)? 
        * I don't think  there is a real dead-line  but Laurence as to
	provide a  list of  all the  people that can  get in  for that
	event. The idea is that  the European Parliament is a "secure"
	place and not everybody can get in. It is even more true since
	we are in "yelow" alert  for some unknown reason. However last
	time Laurence did such an event, a friend of mine came and was
	able to  get in without even  giving his name (he  said I come
	for the conference) (his name was on the list so it would have
	been  no  problem)  (at  the  time  it  was  "white"=no  alert
	level). So yes,  make sure you register before  the day before
	(if you  get more detail  from Laurence, update this  site) It
	will  make Laurence  stress  less since  she  know peaple  are
	comming. It  will make sure you  get in, ... Also,  yes if the
	security does it's  job well, there can be a  big queue so try
	to be there 15-30 minutes before. DavidGlaude

This is part of a  larger event "Software patents from legal worldplay
to  economic reality"  with Brian  Kahin  and Lawrence  Lessig at  the
Dorint Hotel 7 May 14-18:00 organized by FFII, close to the Parliament
at      Bd     Charlemagne     11-19      Brussels:     DorintHotelMap
. http://swpat.ffii.org/events/2003/europarl/05/

NB : the participation of the ELDR Group is still to be confirmed
After the conference Thursday 2003/05/08 13.00-14.30:

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. 

Where: Bruxelles, Place de Luxembourg, in front of the Parliament. 

Where more exactly? On the Place du Luxembourg N°4 (at your right when
watching  the  Parliament)  there  is a  Greek  Cafe/Restaurant  named
Ketje. The Green  will pay for 50 Medze/Meal and need  15 of those for
the VIP,  Pannel, Speaker. The other  lunch are for  the supporter and
peaple comming to the conference of the Green. Each and everybody will
have  to pay their  drinks. We  hope to  eat on  the street,  at their
terasse. Next to  the terasse, there is a large  walking area that can
be used for the festivities. Let's hope it is not raining... 

There is no real meeting point, except that you should be on the right
side of the Place. ;-) 

-- 
-- 	  	     Alexandre Dulaunoy (adulau) -- http://www.foo.be/
-- 	   http://pgp.ael.be:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x44E6CBCD
-- 	   "Knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance
-- 				  that we can solve them" Isaac Asimov