Hope you don't mind getting and possibly passing on information on some events for April 14 and 15, 2004 in Brussels. It would be interesting to spread it in non-free software circles as well (computer professional organisations, labour unions, consumer groups, academia, software businesses and software using businesses, digital rights groups, etc.).
In a nutshell:
Brussels April 14 2004 : protests and conference on the software patents directive. The Council of ministers of the EU is apparently going to throw away the work done in the European Parliament and propose allowing patenting of software without any effective limit. FFII's press release is at:
http://plone.ffii.org/events/2004/bxl04/pr/
Brussels April 15 2004 : conference on digital rights and promotion of free software inside the European Parliament, but see the note below
Brussels April 14 and 15 2004 : it seems a virtual demonstration is in the works (that is you are invited to replace your home page with a a protest note or so, like last summer).
If you have time to spend I bet the organisers will also wellcome help in setting things up.
----- Forwarded message from Hartmut Pilch phm@a2e.de -----
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 From: Hartmut Pilch phm@a2e.de X-X-Sender: phm@querty.oas.a2e.de To: news@ffii.org Subject: [ffii] 14-15 April 2004 : Brussels is the Hub to go :-) X-BeenThere: news@ffii.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.local1 List-Help: mailto:news-request@ffii.org?subject=help List-Post: mailto:news@ffii.org List-Subscribe: http://lists.ffii.org/mailman/listinfo/news, mailto:news-request@ffii.org?subject=subscribe List-Id: FFII News <news.ffii.org> List-Unsubscribe: http://lists.ffii.org/mailman/listinfo/news, mailto:news-request@ffii.org?subject=unsubscribe List-Archive: http://lists.ffii.org/archive/mails/news/ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 18:25:39 +0100 (CET)
FFII News -- For Immediate Release -- Please Redistribute +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ Invitation by Greens/EFA to Apr 14-15 events.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 16:30:44 +0100 From: Laurence Vandewalle Subject: 14-15 April 2004 : Brussels is the Hub to go :-)
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Conferences and LUG in Brussels European Parliament room ASP 1G2 ________________________________________________________________
Most legal frame related to new technologies is cooked up at Brussels. To get a feet into European Parliament's door and show that you care right before the election (to whetten your appetite: its Members will decide on the patentability of software, on data privacy issues, TPRM, and so on), join an installfest within parliament (and bring your favorite MEP with you), attend a panel with ALAN COX, GEORG GREVE, Jon Lech Johansen or DVD JON (of decss fame), participate in a guided tour through brussels (anti-swpats "demo"), meet LUGs and programming rights groups from all over the place, or to meet some chaotic nerds of FFII book your hostel now. On 14 April evening, there will be a diner/party at restaurant La Tentation, in the center of Brussels. See
http://plone.ffii.org/events/2004/
Entrance is free however to access the building you have to register online before 7 April http://www.greens-efa.org
Contact : lvandewalle@europarl.eu.int
euroLUGparty Brussels European Parliament room ASP 1G2 15 April 2004 ________________________________________________________________
The Greens in European parliament invite representatives of Linux Users Groups of the 25 Member States of the European Union to come to Brussels to
- enhance the networking among the free software community in Europe(in particular with the New Member states)
- prepare the second reading on the software patents directive
- show inside EP what free software is, how it works and what ideas lie behind
- participate to the FFII conference and demo against software patents on 14 April
Programme
9.00 Gathering European LUGs and associations for the promotion of free software (FFS Software - Austria, AFUL & APRIL, GUUG - Germany, ...)
11.00-12.30 Linux Install Party for Green candidates
The morning session is chaired by Dany Cohn-Bendit MEP
15.00 PANEL I: PRIVATE COPY Jon Lech Johansen(DVD-Jon) Laurence Lebersorg(Test-Achat Belgium) Gwen Hinze(EFF)
15. 45 PANEL II: FREE/OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Cristiano Paggetti(Italy): eGovernment - Free infrastructure Andrea Glorioso (Italy) : Free content Herman Bruynickx(Belgium): Free software in education Jens Muhlhaus(Germany): Public administration: Linux für Munchen
16.45 PANEL III : FREE AS IN FREEDOM Georg Greve, FSF Europe (Germany) Agenda 1910
Alan Cox www.linux.org.uk co-signatory of the letter sent by Linus Torvalds to the President of EP against software patents(UK)- tbc
The afternoon session is chaired by Monica Frassoni MEP