[Gloucs] Next meeting: Software Patents - Next week!

Wed Mar 23 23:26:02 GMT 2005

Dear all,

I'm sure nobody forgot, but just a quick reminder about the meeting
next Wednesday:

30 March - Software Patents and 'Computer-Implemented Inventions'
  7pm Bishop's Cleeve Library, Tobyfield Road, Bishops Cleeve
       (see <http://www.gloucs.lug.org.uk> for map)          
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What are they?  Where did they come from?  What impact will they                
have?  What is the proposed EU directive on 'computer-implemented               
inventions' all about?  I will talk for 15 - 30 minutes, with                   
slides, to give concise answers to these questions.  I will                     
present the case against software patents.                                      

Then I will lead a 30 minute discussion on                                      

 - the impact on us as members of the Linux community, as users,                
   developers or advocates.                                                     

 - what we can do to improve the situation.                                     

About the speaker:  David Corking is an independent project                     
manager who is concerned about the negative effects software                    
patents will have on developing custom software and using open                  
source software.                                                                
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I'm sure this is going to be interesting, so please make the effort
to come along.

I hope to see you there,

-- 
Mick Brooks
michael.brooks at physics.ox.ac.uk