The headquarters in Caracas of the International Center of Education and Development (CIED), a branch company of the Venezuelan state owned oil company (Pdvsa), will be the site of the I World Forum on Free Technology, to be held from November 17th through 20th , with the purpose of divulging the benefits and advantages of using free technology in the state as well as in private business.

The announcement was made by the Bolivarian Foundation of Technology of Information and Data Transmission (Fundabit), which explained that the event is also intended to warn of the perils and technological lag that the use of software patents may create, and to generate an atmosphere to reinforce national technological development.

The topics to be discussed are related to free software, patents vs. public property, copyleft vs.copyright, and traditional know-how.
A wide group of experts on free technology from Argentina Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela will participate in the meeting.

Several work tables will be organized in order to elaborate a plan to facilitate access to technology for the low income population, to upgrade the information technology systems in the United States, to implement the use of open standards in public administration, and to allow the student population to have access to promoters of the free use of technology and of know-how.

Published in Quantum N.40