While you are there perhaps you can make them aware of this absurdity
http://www.kslaw.com/library/articles.asp?1063
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean-Michel POURE" <jm(dot)poure(at)freesurf(dot)fr>
To: <pgsql-announce(at)postgresql(dot)org>; <pgsql-advocacy(at)postgresql(dot)org>;
<pgadmin-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>; <phppgadmin-devel(at)lists(dot)sourceforge(dot)net>;
<pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>; "pgsql-general"
<pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 8:14 AM
Subject: [HACKERS] Join Stallman and Software SMEs to refuse sofware patents
> Dear members of the PostgreSQL Community,
>
> I registered the congress at the European Parliament (Brussels Thursday 8
May
> 2003 9:00-12:00 room ASP 1G2) to explain in 2 minutes how PostgreSQL and
some
> of its offshots (pgAdmin & PhpPgAdmin) can benefit the economy.
>
> If you are interested in joining us, please contact directly Laurence van
de
> Walle (Lvandewalle(at)europarl(dot)eu(dot)int) and CC me. A registration is needed to
> have access to the conference room, get a badge, etc...
>
> Best regards,
> Jean-Michel POURE
>
****************************************************************************
**
>
>
> 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 are 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 sofware, the rapporteur Arlene McCarthy (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 inforced. Patents favour huge
> companies that can affoard 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 sofwtare is short ...
> Moreover, patents kill the free and open source software. The patent
system
> does not fit softwares.
>
> We call on software developpers, sofware 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 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.
>
> Registration and programme : Laurence Van de Walle
> Lvandewalle(at)europarl(dot)eu(dot)int +32-2-2841695
> http://www.greens-efa.org
>
> This is part of a larger event "Software patents from legal worldplay to
> economic reality" with B. Kahin at the Dorint Hotel 7 May 14-18:00
organized
> by FFII
>
> !!!!!!!THANKS FOR HELPING WIDESPREADING !!!!!!
>
>
> SOFTWARE PATENTS AND EUROPEAN SME
>
> 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
>
>
>
> 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
>
> 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.
>
> On May 7 afternoon a conference "Software patents from legal wording to
> economic reality" with B. Kahin and Lawrence Lessig will take place in
Hotel
> Dorint Bd Charlemagne 11-19 Brussels
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
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