Workshop: IPR implications for Free/Libre and Open Source Software
CALL FOR PAPERS
IPR '06 Workshop on Intellectual Property protection for software and its implications for Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS)
June 10, 2006
Como, Italy
http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/index.html
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Intellectual property (IP) protection for software has relied
traditionally on copyright and trade secrecy methods, which cover
specific implementations or programs rather than the underlying inventions.
In recent years, a greater concern for the IP protection of software has
raised questions about the appropriateness and sufficiency of these
methods, and has led to considering other possibilities, such as
patents. As a matter of fact, the European Commission launched a
proposal of Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented
inventions that was opposed by the FLOSS community due to its
implications for free and open source developments, and later rejected
by the European Parliament.
This workshop, hosted by the 2^nd International Conference on Open
Source Systems (http://oss2006.dti.unimi.it/), aims at revising the
existing IP protection mechanisms for software, including patents, and
focuses on extracting main implications for FLOSS.
Some of the proposed issues to be discussed comprise the compatibility
between FLOSS and different scenarios of patentability for
computer-implemented inventions, the existing conflicts between FLOSS
and patents and, finally, possible adaptations of FLOSS licenses to new
IP protection methods (e.g. GPL v3).
Eventually, the debate will search for consensus about the ideal IP protection for software and, particularly, for FLOSS, from social, economic and technical
perspectives, and it will propose measures to foster FLOSS innovation in the European Union.
REGISTRATION
In order to register, please fill in the registration form (DOC format <http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.doc>, 40 KB), (PDF format <http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.pdf>, 27 KB), (Open Document <http://www.gtic.ssr.upm.es/ipr06/Docs/WorkshopForm_IPR06.odt>, 17KB) and contact the OSS 2006 <http://oss2006.dti.unimi.it/>
organization.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Intellectual Property Rights are playing an increasingly important role
in software-related industries (telecoms, consumer electronics, etc.)
and there is a tendency towards the patentability of
computer-implemented inventions, which might influence the way software
is produced, distributed and used.
In this context, Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) is
especially vulnerable to new forms of protection for software, since
FLOSS licenses rely almost exclusively on copyright-centered mechanisms.
Researchers, developers, distributors and users (whether they are
individuals or firms) are likely to be affected by these new trends, and
are therefore encouraged to submit papers or presentations dealing with
these issues in order to discuss them in the IPR '06 Workshop.
Papers and presentations should be submitted in English before May 1st
(abstracts up to 500 words) to be reviewed by the program committee.
Accepted papers and presentations are due no later than May 15th 2006.
Please send your abstracts, papers and presentations (in PDF format) to:
Alvaro Martin (amartin [a t] gtic [d o t] ssr [d o t] upm [d o t] es)
Reply to: