IPR implications for Free/Libre and Open Source Software CFP

CALL FOR PAPERS

IPR '06 Workshop on Intellectual Property protection for software and its implications for
Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS)

June 10, 2006

Como, Italy

http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/index.html

 

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

 

Intellectual property (IP) protection for software has relied 
traditionally on copyright and trade secrecy methods, which cover 
specific implementations or programs rather than the underlying inventions.

In recent years, a greater concern for the IP protection of software has 
raised questions about the appropriateness and sufficiency of these 
methods, and has led to considering other possibilities, such as 
patents. As a matter of fact, the European Commission launched a 
proposal of Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented 
inventions that was opposed by the FLOSS community due to its 
implications for free and open source developments, and later rejected 
by the European Parliament.

This workshop, hosted by the 2^nd International Conference on Open 
Source Systems (http://oss2006.dti.unimi.it/), aims at revising the 
existing IP protection mechanisms for software, including patents, and 
focuses on extracting main implications for FLOSS.

Some of the proposed issues to be discussed comprise the compatibility 
between FLOSS and different scenarios of patentability for 
computer-implemented inventions, the existing conflicts between FLOSS 
and patents and, finally, possible adaptations of FLOSS licenses to new 
IP protection methods (e.g. GPL v3).

Eventually, the debate will search for consensus about the ideal IP protection for software and,
particularly, for FLOSS, from social, economic and technical 
perspectives, and it will propose measures to foster FLOSS innovation in the European Union.


REGISTRATION

 

In order to register, please fill in the registration form (DOC format
<http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.doc>>, 40 KB), (PDF format
<http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.pdf>>, 27 KB), (Open Document
<http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.odt>>, 17KB) and contact the OSS 2006
<http://oss2006.dti.unimi.it/>> 
organization.

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

 

Intellectual Property Rights are playing an increasingly important role 
in software-related industries (telecoms, consumer electronics, etc.) 
and there is a tendency towards the patentability of 
computer-implemented inventions, which might influence the way software 
is produced, distributed and used.

In this context, Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) is 
especially vulnerable to new forms of protection for software, since 
FLOSS licenses rely almost exclusively on copyright-centered mechanisms. 
Researchers, developers, distributors and users (whether they are 
individuals or firms) are likely to be affected by these new trends, and 
are therefore encouraged to submit papers or presentations dealing with 
these issues in order to discuss them in the IPR '06 Workshop.

Papers and presentations should be submitted in English before May 1st 
(abstracts up to 500 words) to be reviewed by the program committee. 
Accepted papers and presentations are due no later than May 15th 2006.

Please send your abstracts, papers and presentations (in PDF format) to:

Alvaro Martin (amartin [a t] gtic [d o t] ssr [d o t] upm [d o t] es)