Software Patents and SMEs (7 - 8 May 2003) - Brussels

A  Software Directive is  currently being  considered by  the European
Parliament which  would legalise software  patents in the  EU, opening
the floodgates to patent claims on abstract principles and problems of
computing. Examples  include the Amazon "1-Click"  patent, which would
doubtlessly  qualify as a  "computer-implemented invention"  under the
proposed directive.  This will particularly hurt  SMEs and open-source
software developers,  as they are unable to  defend themselves against
often  frivolous patent  infringement claims  by larger  companies and
specalised  patent  marketing companies.  Software  patents, far  from
promoting  innovation,  actually  impede  it  by  creating  artificial
monopolies and  tying firms up  in expensive litigation  battles. This
benefits only patent lawyers and certainly not the software industry.  

May  7-8 will  see  various  events in  Brussels  organized by  groups
opposed to this development.  

There will be a scientific conference  beginning on 7th of May at 9.00
in the Dorint Hotel with a Lecture by Prof. 

Laurence Lessig (Stanford)
Software Patents -- Learning from American Mistakes 

Other speakers include Richard Stallman.  

This will end on 8 May with a panel on "Patenting Strategies of Large
vs Small Companies".  
Full agenda can be found at --- 

http://swpat.ffii.org/termine/2003/europarl/05/07/index.en.html (7 May) 

http://swpat.ffii.org/termine/2003/europarl/05/08/15/index.en.html (8 May) 

On  May 8  from  0930--1230  there will  be  a European  Parliamentary
hearing  organized by  MEPs from  the Green  and Liberal  factions, on
"Software Patents and SMEs".  

http://swpat.ffii.org/termine/2003/europarl/05 

On May  8 from 1300--1430 there  will be a rally  in Luxembourg Square
with a performance entitled "The Thoughts are Patented".  

The questions about  this press release contact Alex  Macfie, from the
UK <alex@cgce.net>. 

For questions of onsite organisation please contact Alexandre Dulaunoy
of          AEL           (Association          of          Electronic
Liberties)<alexandre.dulaunoy@ael.be>. 

For general information contact  Hartmut Pilch of FFII (Foundation for
a Free Information Infrastructure)(+49-89-12789608) <phm@a2e.de>.  

--
ASBL AEL (Association Electronique Libre) https://www.ael.be/
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