[Fsf-friends] WSIS

[Arun M]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org] On
> Behalf Of Georg C. F. Greve
> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 5:11 AM
> To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
> Cc: wsis-pct@fsfeurope.org
> Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] plenary statement of the Patents, Copyright
and
> Trademarks (PCT) work group (September 23rd)
> 
>                     Patents, Copyright, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group
> 
>          Civil Society Statement for WSIS Plenary September 23rd, 2003
> 
> 
> Georg Greve speaking on behalf of the civil society patents, copyright
> and trademarks working group.
> 
> Each generation of mankind is depending upon its predecessors to leave
> them with a livable, sustainable and stable environment. The
> environment we are discussing today is that of the information age and
> future generations will be looking at what we have achieved or not
> achieved here.
> 
> To a large extent, this future rests on three columns.
> 
> Science, to advance human knowledge, Law, to provide means of
> non-violent conflict resolution and Software, to enter and be part of
> the digital domain. All of these three are in imminent danger.
> 
> When asked why he could see so far, Sir Isaac Newton replied that he
> was standing on the shoulders of giants. Imagine a world where those
> giants refuse to let him stand on their shoulders. Yet this is the
> direction that the access to information and knowledge section is
> taking. Access to information is how we climb upon the shoulders of
> the giants that were before us.
> 
> Law is a tool with which we shape our society. Like any tool it can
> turn against its creators. By monopolizing control over our common
> heritage as mankind, we give permission to deplete the intellectual
> and cultural grounds that future generations will need to build
> upon. A strong and healthy public domain of knowledge will be just as
> important to them as it was to us.
> 
> Software is the medium of and structuring entity for the digital
> domain. The information age will rest upon it. Having been denounced
> as a technical development model, Free Software is much more than
> that. It is a paradigm that secures equal chances and freedom for
> governments, economy and civil society alike. It provides a truly
> sustainable model for all areas of society, bringing back competition
> and furthering innovation for a prosperous and inclusive information
> and knowledge society for all.
> 
> Dear delegates, thank you for your attention.
> 
> --
> Georg C. F. Greve
<greve@fsfeurope.org>
> Free Software Foundation Europe
> (http://fsfeurope.org)
> GNU Business Network
(http://mailman.gnubiz.org)
> Brave GNU World
(http://brave-gnu-world.org)