Richard M. Stallman, the founder of free software and the creator of GNU, will have a seminar on September 5, 2005. The seminar is organized by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Department of Information Engineering, CUHK and it will be held at Lecture Theatre, 8/F of the Mong Man Wai Engineering Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The title of this seminar is "Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks". The following is the abstract provided by Stallman:

Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing 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.

The seminar will start from 5:00pm and afterwards, there will be Q&A sections. Seat are limited. No reservation is allowed. All seats are provided in first-come-first-served mannar.