Kiel Conference with talk about software "patent dirt" http://stopsoftwarepatents.org/forum/t-90718/kiel-conference-with-talk-about-software-patent-dirt Posts in the discussion thread "Kiel Conference with talk about software "patent dirt"" - It matters which sort of legal protection you take. Felix van Kourten argues why patent law suits software so badly and why we are better off with copyright law. Oct 10 he will speak at the Kiel Linux and Open Source Days. http://stopsoftwarepatents.org/forum/t-90718#post-264663 Kiel Conference with talk about software "patent dirt" http://stopsoftwarepatents.org/forum/t-90718/kiel-conference-with-talk-about-software-patent-dirt#post-264663 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:11:30 +0000 arebenti 36024 Lawyer Felix van Kourten will speak at the 10th October Kiel Linux and Open Source Days for the Kiel based initiative Patentschmutz.de ("patent dirt" a pun; the German word Patentschutz means "patent protection"). Patent rights are a notable concern for the open development environment predominated by communties of developers. The organisers decribe the talk as follows (rough translation):

Immaterial protection rights are important for Linux (and free software in general) because the GPL and many similar licenses are based on copyright
But immaterial protection rights can also be abused or assume a damaging role. This happens in particular when those rights are not appropriate for the subject matter. For instance the patent system is not applicable for software in a meaningful way. Nevertheless there is ambition to expand patent law to software. This would cause catastrophical consequences for the European software environment. Not only free software would be effected but small and midsized companies in general - even if they only use software and do not develop themselves
The talk provides an overview over immaterial protection rights and explains why copyright but not patent law is applicable for software. Further it will be shown, where these damaging attempts for patent expansion originate from and how we can take influence on the political process.
The safest solution would be a clearexclussion of patentability for software by law. The initiative patentschmutz.de aims for that. We rely on your support. We are all affected by software patents!

Details

10. October, 14.30 - 15.30 Room: R012

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