[3 November 2004]
Founder of Free Software Movement presented on free software and patents at Singapore Management University

The seminar was a collaboration between UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network and SMU School of Information Systems

Richard M. Stallman, the founder of the free software movement, was at the Singapore Management University (SMU) on 1 November, Monday, to deliver a talk on “Free Software Movement and Patents”.

The free software movement is about the freedom to use, modify, and distribute software. In his talk, Mr Stallman highlighted the negative impacts and implications of the current patent practices and policies to software development.

Following Mr Stallman's lecture, there was also a discussion panel moderated by SMU's School of Information Systems (SIS). The panel also comprised Mr Harish Pillay, Chief Technology Architect, Red Hat Asia Pacific, and Mr Sunil Abraham, Manager, International Open Source Network (IOSN).

The seminar was a collaboration between United National Development Programme-Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP) International Open Source Network and SIS.

“We are indeed excited for this rare opportunity and honour to have Mr Richard Stallman at SMU to enlighten us on free software, thanks to the collaboration with IOSN. As an educational and research institution, SIS promotes the awareness and understanding of various industries' best practices, methodologies, and technology platforms. This is key to prepare our students as business sensitive and technologically competent professionals, as well as for SIS to deliver research projects which have an industry impact. SIS is pleased to bring in renowned speakers and practitioners to the business and IT communities in Singapore and to provide a platform for knowledge sharing and business networking,” said Dr Shum Kam Hong, Practice Associate Professor, SIS.

“As a centre of excellence for free/open source software, UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network (IOSN) is grateful to Mr Richard Stallman and SIS for this opportunity to mainstream the critique of patents. We believe the current patent regime sharpens the economic divide, blocks access to life-saving medicines, stifles innovation, ignores traditional knowledge systems, and halts the progress of free/open source software,” said Mr Sunil Abraham, Manager, UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network (IOSN).

Richard Stallman also founded the GNU project (1984), the Free Software Foundation (1985), and the League for Programming Freedom. Through his introduction of the widely- used GPL (General Public Licence) for software, there are estimated to be some 20 million users of GNU/Linux systems today.

UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network
The International Open Source Network (IOSN), which is an initiative of UNDP's Asia-Pacific Information Development Programme, is a Center of Excellence for Free and Open Source Software in the Asia Pacific Region. ( www.iosn.net )