[Gllug] Talk 2006-04-22 in London: "FREE SOFTWARE: DOT.COMMUNISM?"

[The Socialist Party]

The Central London branch of the Socialist Party will be holding a public 
meeting in London.

A poster/flyer for the event is available at 
<http://www.worldsocialism.org/posters/20060416-freesoftware.pdf>.

Date    :  Saturday, 22 April 2006 at 15:00
Topic   :  FREE SOFTWARE: DOT.COMMUNISM...?
Speaker :  Tristan Miller
Location:  SPGB Head Office, 52 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UN
           Nearest tube: Clapham North
Abstract:

Digital information technology contributes to the world by making it easier 
to copy and modify information.  However, not everyone would like it to be 
easier.

The legal system of copyright and patents -- so-called "intellectual 
property" -- gives computer programs "owners", most of whom try to 
withhold software's benefits from the rest of the public.  They do this by 
using legal and technological measures to make it difficult or impossible 
for people to copy software or to use or alter it for their own purposes.

However, a small but growing community of computer users and programmers 
are now promoting a different software licensing scheme.  Under this 
system, everyone has the right to use, copy, study, modify, and 
redistribute computer programs without restriction.  Such software is said 
to be "free", not because it can be obtained without charge, but because 
people are at liberty to use the software as they see fit.

In the past twenty years there has been an explosion of communal free 
software development. Today, free software programs such as GNU/Linux run 
much of the Internet's infrastructure, and are beginning to seriously 
threaten Microsoft's monopoly on the desktop.

Some observers have described free software as "communism".  Many 
developers and users of free software reject outright such political 
linkages, arguing that free software is simply a new capitalistic business 
model.  However, others actively embrace free software (and its extensions 
to literature and other media) as a tool for revolutionary social change.

In this talk, we will present the development of copyright law in its 
historical context, give a general introduction to free software and the 
benefits it holds for ordinary computer users, and examine the 
revolutionary implications of the free software movement from a socialist 
perspective.

About the speaker: Tristan Miller is a research scientist in the field of 
computer science and digital information management.  He has been an 
active developer of free software since 1999.

-- 
============= Socialist Party of Great Britain ============
Mailing address   : 52 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UN
Telephone         : +44 20 7622 3811
Website           : http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/
Head office e-mail: spgb at worldsocialism.org
General enquiries : enquiries at worldsocialism.org
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