Re: [Patents] 2003/05/07-8 BXL Swpat Conference

[Xavier Drudis Ferran <xdrudis@tinet.org>]

On Fri, May 23, 2003 at 04:27:16PM +0200, taavid@luunja.edu.ee wrote:
> 2003/05/07-8 BXL Swpat Conference. Was this conference successful (lets 
> leave McCarthys complaints out)? 
> 

It depends on what you call success, which depends on your goals, etc. 

I can say I am happy that it has taken place, and happy to have gone. 
I thank very much  the organisers and the speakers.

There were very knowleadgeable people from Europe and the US (anywhere 
else?), 
which explained lots of interesting things, mostly about bad consequences 
of software patents, and problems with the directive. There were also 
lots of developers and managers, investors, etc. complaining of attempts
at causing their businesses much harm. Lots of SMEs upset at the directive
proposal and saying "thanks, but no thanks" to swpats. 

There were also politicians showing support, and some journalists. The
rooms were full most of the time, with extra chairs, people standing
(I've heard around 100 people in total at Dorint and 200 at EP).