Erik Josefsson (FFII)

He has already worked on the software patent directive since 2001. Mr. Josefsson is a former member of the Danish-Swedish SSLUG (Sk��ne Sj��lland Linux User Group) and Chairman of FFII.se. He was elected by NyTeknik (a Swedish IT magazine) as one of the 50 most influential leaders in Swedish IT 2004.

The European Commission's proposal for the software patents directive in February 2002 marked the start of one of the most lively debates ever in EU politics. Initial opponents mainly came from the Open Source, Free Software and academic worlds, but were later joined by SMEs, unions and consumer organisations. As software patent lawsuits continue to rage on in the US, even some large corporations have now voiced concerns about the latest version as submitted by the Council. It is clear that a different approach is necessary, one which is more in line with the way innovation in the information economy works. Cheap, narrow, fast and safe are the keywords that should form the foundation of this sector's exclusion rights.

The Topic of the presentation will be: "Why the Software Patents Directive of the European Commission and the Council is a deliberate attempt to make software patents enforceable"