Europe IST funding (1900 million euros) discriminates free software!

[Marcel Ruff]

Hi,

1. First a small introduction to Europe Information Society Fund (IST):

   IST 2004 will address European policies, strategies and
   research activities in all areas of the Information Society.

   There is a IST conference at 15-17 November 2004 in The Hague, Netherlands
   this is sort of a kick off meeting.

   What i know of, Call 4 and Call 5 have a funding volume of 1900 Million Euro,
   probably ALL European based information technology funding
   is bundled in this IST program.

   IST goals:
   http://europa.eu.int/information_society/research/index_en.htm

   The Hague IST conference details:
   http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/index_en.htm


2. Who can get funding?

   Research institutes get up to 100% sponsoring,
   companies get up to 50%,
   free software gets 0%

   We have started a homepage, forum and Wiki page to changes this!
   See http://ospro.sf.net

   One small example:

   The economical impact of free/open software on economy
   goes to billions of Euro.
   The efficiency (financial input versus powerful output)
   of free software is very high compared to many projects of
   research institutions or company projects.

   Imagine how 5 % of the IST fund (95 Million Euro) could
   empower the European free/open source community:
   Many man years of efficient free software development.


3. Current state

   We have started a session #513 on the IST The Hague event,
   to change the habit of IST to not sponsor free/open source
   directly (or for example via organizations like fseurope.org).
   See:

    http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/cf/viewevent.cfm?eventType=networking

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/cf/vieweventdetail.cfm?ses_id=513&eventType=networking

   As you can see at the first link, session #513 has disappeared,
   there is a gap between #512 and #514!

   !!! It was censored by IST !!!

   But - with the second link you can circumvent the censorship
   and view the original session :-)


4. What can you do?

   a) Subscribe to the censored session #513 with the above link!

   Any active or passive subscription helps us to force IST to take
   back the censorship.

   Please subscribe now!

   The IST money is public money, our money!

   b) Discuss your opinion on Wiki at http://ospro.sf.net



Thanks and see you in The Hague,

Marcel Ruff
Phone: 07551 309371

-- 
http://www.xmlBlaster.org