World Summit on the Information Society

Patents, Copyright, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group Event

"Free Software, Free Society"

Time: Wednesday 10 December 17H-20H
Place: Room Cervin, Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland

Software is the cultural technique of the digital age and access to it determines who may participate in a digital world. Because of its unique social, educational, scientific, political and economic benefits and opportunities, Free Software is one of the essential benchmarks of Civil Society for the World Summit on the Information Society. Listen to and meet leading global experts on what is an essential building block for an empowering, sustainable and inclusive information society. Get input for governmental policy decisions and ideas on how software shapes the societies of tomorrow with people such as Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation.

The event is publicly accessible without accreditation.

AGENDA

(announced)
• 17:00 Georg Greve, FSF Europe, Opening Statement


• 17:05 Lawrence Lessig, CreativeCommons
  (Chair: Georg Greve)


• 17:35 Richard Stallman, FSF
  (Chair: Georg Greve)


• 18:15 Juan Carlos Gentile, Hipatia
  (Chair: Francis Muguet)


• 18:45 Pierre Ouedraogo (?)
  (Chair: Francis Muguet)


• 19:15 Theo Bondolfi, Ynternet.org
  (Chair: Loïc Dachary)


• 19:45 Discussion
  (Moderator: Loïc Dachary)


• 20:00 Richard Stallman, FSF, Concluding Remarks

SUMMARY

Wednesday, Dec 10th, the Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks working group of Civil Society held its "Free Software, Free Society" event.

After Prof. Lawrence Lessig, who shared his visions for a Free Society, the speakers shed light on their experience on building Free Societies with the help of Free Software in South America and Africa. This experience was complimented by the experience of the Swiss NGO Ynternet.org.

Surprising special guests were Sergio Amadeu Da Silveira and Rogerio Santanna of the Brazilian government, who told the audience about their experience building the Free Software policy for Free Software.

As the final speaker and after his appearence at the governmental high-level round table, Richard Stallman, founding father of the GNU Project, vividly expressed the freedoms of Free Software.

AGENDA

START 17:05

• Georg Greve, FSF Europe, Opening Statement & Chair


• Lawrence Lessig, CreativeCommons


• Juan Carlos Gentile, Hipatia


• Sergio Amadeu Da Silveira and Rogerio Santanna, Brazilian Government


• Theo Bondolfi, Ynternet.org


• Pierre Ouedraogo, Organisation Francophonie


• Richard Stallman, FSF


• Georg Greve, FSF Europe, Concluding Remarks

END 20:15

Organisers : Georg C.F. Greve, Loïc Dachary, Dr. Francis Muguet