[WSIS CS-Plenary] Opening Ceremony Speaker PCT proposal : Richard Stallman

[Fullsack Jean-Louis]

OK Francis
George Stallmann is a repectable man as are your suggestions.
But, what about Linux, GPL, open and/or free software etc if there is still
no access to any network for billions of people in underserved areas in the
North and in DCs in the South ?
Friendly yours
Jean-Louis Fullsack
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Francis MUGUET" <muguet at mdpi.org>
To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>
Cc: <ct at wsis-cs.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 6:36 PM
Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Opening Ceremony Speaker PCT proposal : Richard
Stallman


> Hello everybody
>
>  Besides the selection rules that have been just proposed by the C&T
>  for discussions and that of course we fully intend to abide,
>  it has been recognized that the discussion concerning
>  the Opening Ceremony speaker has already started and obviously
>  this choice requires a very broad consensus. Therefore the
>  PCT group is setting forward a proposition for discussions.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Our propositions is based both
> on the merits of the speaker
> as well as the purpose and usefulness of his intervention.
>
> Without Richard Stallman, the information society would probably be the
> dominion of ruthless monopolies, leaving little practical possibilities
> for any freedom at all. Without the Free Software movement, without the
> GPL, there would have been probably no GNU/Linux operating systems that
> now running on the vast majority of Web servers. Richard Stallman is
> well versed with all the
> technical, legal, economical and philosophical aspects of the issues of
> the Civil Society.
>
> It is proposed that the first part of his speech (about 2/3 ) should
> convey the declarations that would have prepared by the various
> thematics groups of the Civil Society as compiled by the C&T drafting
> group.
>
> In the last part, Richard Stallman should focus on the issue of Free
> Software and Software patents. As all of you are aware, the fight
> against software patents is a crucial issue, and a decisive battle is
> now been fought in Europe that is going to have worldwide consequences.
> It is proposed that in the name of the CS; Richard Stallman
> would publicly challenge Mr. Frits Bolkestein, the European
> Commissioner to accept the decision of the European parliament and
> not to try to remove the patent directive,
> as he threatened he would do, from the authority of the European,
> parliament to put it under the authority of
> governments as a technocratic re-negotiation of the European Patent
> Convention, in order to that software patents be approved despite
> the vote of the parliament.!
>
> The exact text from Frits Bolkestein
> http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/bolkestein/index_en.htm
> http://swpat.ffii.org/players/bolkestein/index.en.h is :
>
> "Now if we fail in our efforts to achieve a harmonization of patent law
> relating to
> computer-implemented inventions in the European Union,
> we may well be confronted with a renegotiation of the European Patent
> Convention.
> And if I may be blunt, President, the process of renegotiation of the
> European Patent Convention
> would not require any contribution from this parliament. So the
> situation is clear:
> there is a single objective but a choice of means. Either we proceed
> using the community method,
> or we take a back seat and watch while member states go via the route of
> an intergovernmental treaty.
>
> Such a provocative undemocratic statement shall not
> be tolerated by the CS. The message is that the Information Society
> shall not be ruled by technocrats but with respect of the democratic
> rights. This is a question of basic rights.
>
> Therefore the purpose of the end of Richard Stallman intervention should
> be dual :
> 1/ Help to remove the threat of software patent over Europe and over the
> world.
> 2/ Reaffirm the rights of the people in front of an arrogant
> technocracy at the service of special interests.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Francis F. MUGUET Ph.D
> muguet at mdpi.org   muguet at ensta.fr
>
> MDPI Foundation   http://www.mdpi.net
>
> World Summit On the Information Society (WSIS)
> Civil Society Working Groups
> Scientific Information :  http://www.wsis-si.org  chair
> Patents & Copyrights   :  http://www.wsis-pct.org co-chair
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
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