"Copyright vs. Community in the Age of Computer Networks"
Richard Stallman
Founder of the GNU Project

9 PM, Thursday, February 22nd
Hillegass-Parker Coop (formerly Le Chateau)
2545 Hillegass Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704

Abstract:
Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed
to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by theprinting
press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer
networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.

The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for
draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while
suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to
serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright--to promote progress, for
the benefit of the public--then we must make changes in the other direction.

Biography:
Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system
(see http://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.

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