Say No To Software Patents/National Public Meeting

Software patents have always been very contentious. The issue has cropped up again recently in India as the Patent Manual that is being prepared by the Indian Patent Office has guidelines on the Patent Office's understanding of section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act, and the patentability of software. The Patent Office has been having a series of stakeholder meetings related to the Patent Manual, in which the issue of software patents has been raised by various interested parties. Given the large opposition to the Patent Manual's reading of the Indian Patent Act, the Patent Office has promised to hold a public meeting solely on software patents. However, the date and location of the consultation hasn't been announced yet. We, a loose group of civil society organisations interested in the issue of software patents, believe that a public meeting (and not just an invitees only "industry consultation") on the issue of software patents will help gather together viewpoints which will be invaluable to the Patent Office.

Agenda for the Meeting

1. Presentation on the principles of patent law and software patents | Nagarjuna G. (Free Software Foundation of India) and Prabir Purkayastha (Delhi Science Forum)
2. Discussion on patents and the development sector (freedom of speech, open standards, healthcare, biotech, agro-sector, etc.) | Sunil Abraham (Centre for Internet and Society), Anivar Aravind (Moving Republic), and others
3. Discussion on software patents in the Indian context: Indian Patent Act, and the draft patent manual | Prashant Iyengar (Alternative Law Forum), Venkatesh Hariharan (Red Hat), and Sudhir Krishnaswamy (National Law School)
4. Presentation on the software patents that have been granted so far in India | Pranesh Prakash (Centre for Internet and Society)
5. Open house on software patents | People speaking will include: T. Ramakrishna (National Law School), Abhas Abhinav (DeepRoot Linux), Sreekanth S. Rameshaiah (Mahiti Infotech), Vinay Sreenivasa (IT for Change)

Special Invitees

This is a tentative list eminent person who could act as a jury

1. S.P. Shukla (to be confirmed)

Organisations Involved

These organisations are involved in organizing the event, in funding it, or just as a partner organisation wishing to share the platform. Some of them are tentatively being included in this list as their involvement is hoped for.

1. Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore
2. Free Software Users Group, Bangalore
3. Free Software Foundation of India, Mumbai
4. Society For Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment, Trivandrum
5. IT for Change, Bangalore
6. Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
7. Delhi Science Forum
8. Movingrepublic
9. OpenSpace, Bangalore
10. Swathanthra Malayalam Computing
11. Servelots - Janastu, Bangalore
12. Mahiti, Bangalore
13. DeepRoot Linux, Bangalore
14. Wiki Ocean, Pune [TBC]
15. Turtle Linux Lab, Bangalore
16. Zyxware Technologies, Trivandrum

Date and Venue

Date: Saturday, October 4, 2008

Venue: United Theological College, Ecumenical Resource Centre, IInd Floor. Millers Road. Benson Town. Bangalore - 560046