Patent Absurdity

"Patent Absurdity: How software patents broke the system" explores the case of software patents, the history of judicial activism that led to their rise, and the harm being done to software developers and the wider economy. The film, directed by independent filmmaker Luca Lucarini and funded by a grant from the Free Software Foundation, is based on a series of interviews conducted during the Supreme Court's review of in re Bilski, a case that could have profound implications for the patenting of software. The film was produced and edited using free software tools on GNU/Linux, and is being distributed in the free Ogg Theora format. I had a part in its creation as part of my work at the FSF, and could be available to answer questions and give some background both about the process behind the film and an update on the work of the FSF's End Software Patents campaign. The Bilski decision should have come down by the time Debconf happens, so there should be much to talk about with regard to what the outcome means for patents, free software, and Debian. The film is about 30 minutes long.