The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System

Speaker:	Richard Stallman
		Founder of GNU Project and Free Software Foundation
		Father and current maintainer of the One True Emacs

Title:		"The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux
		 Operating System"

Date:		Tuesday, 6 September 2005

Time:		4:30pm - 6:30pm

Venue:		Lecture Theatre A
		(Citigroup Lecture Theater,
		Chia-Wei Woo Academic Concourse)
		Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

ABSTRACT:

Richard Stallman will speak about the goals and philosophy of the Free
Software Movement, and the status and history the GNU operating system,
which in combination with the kernel Linux is now used by tens of millions
of users world-wide.

He will also also consider how software patents obstruct software
development.  Software patents are patents that cover software ideas.
They restrict the development of software, so that every design decision
brings a risk of getting sued.  Patents in other fields restrict
factories, but software patents restrict every computer user.  Economic
research shows that they even retard progress.


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BIOGRAPHY:

Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system (see
www.gnu.org) in 1984.  GNU is free software: everyone has the freedom to
copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes either large or
small.  The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU operating system with
Linux added, is used on tens of millions of computers today.  Stallman has
received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a MacArthur Foundation fellowship,
the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award, and the the Takeda
Award for Social/Economic Betterment, as well as several honorary
doctorates.