Tuesday, 26 November 2002

                          Is Software Patentability Necessary? 
             The political implications of the technical directive (com2002)092

             Conference of the Greens/EFA Group in the EP , Room ASP 1E2

13:30    Registration (Entrance of the Altiero Spinelli building, rue Wiertz, B-1047, Brussels)

14:00    Introduction by  MEP  Danielle  Auroi  (Les  Verts,  France)  and  MEP  Paul  Lannoye 
         (Ecolo, Belgium)

         Keynote speech by Commissioner Frits Bolkestein to be confirmed

14:30    PANEL I : Software Law 
         Chaired by Piia Noora Kauppi MEP (EPP, Finland)
         Heidi Hautala, MEP (Greens/EFA Group, EP) History of legal attempts
         Sylvain Perchaux, Legal protection of software - patents versus copyright
         Hermann Shölch (patent examiner) Inflation of patents


15:15    PANEL II : Software Economy 
         Chaired by Michel Rocard MEP (PES, France, President of the Culture Committee)
         François Pellegrini  (Assistant  Professor  in  Computer  Science,  University  of 
         Bordeaux): Economy of software patents - who wins, who loses
         Pierre Haren  (CEO  of  ILOG)  :  Impact  of  software  patents  on  innovative  software 
         companies
         Brian Kahin  (Director,  Center  for  Information  Policy,  College  of  Information 
         Studies, University  of  Maryland)  :  Software  patents  and  innovation  management  in 
         the information age

16:15    Pause

16:30    CASE STUDIES
         Chaired by MEP Marco Cappato (PRT, Italy)
         Jean-Pierre Berlan (INRA, France): Patents on livelihood 
         Richard Stallman (Free Software Foundation): Impact on open data formats and on 
         free software

         17h30 ROUNDTABLE and  Perspectives  with  Arlene  McCarthy,  rapporteur  to  be 
         confirmed
         Chaired by MEP Paul Lannoye with the speakers and Astrid Thors to be confirmed, Gilles 
         Savary (PES)  to  be  confirmed,  Marco  Cappato  (PRT),  Piia  Noora  Kauppi  (EPP) 
         Mercedes Echerer (Greens/EFA, Austria) 

18h30    CONCLUSION by MEP Danielle Auroi

Interpretation in English and French
Information and registration:
Laurence Van de Walle lvandewalle@europarl.eu.int Tel: +32 2 284 1695