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Austin, TX. Welch Hall 1.308, University of Texas at Austin. 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. This talk will be accessible to all audiences and the public is encouraged to attend.

New Delhi, India. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road. Building and room number to be determined.

Caracas, Venezuela. Auditorio del Ministerio para el Poder Popular de Ciencia, Tecnología e Industrias Intermedias, ubicado en la Esquina El Chorro, La Candelaria. Richard Stallman hablará sobre las metas y la filosofía del movimiento del Software Libre, y el estado y la historia del sistema operativo GNU, el cual conjuntamente con el núcleo Linux ahora es utilizado por decenas de millones de usuarios en todo el mundo.

Campinas, Brazil. Centro de Convenções da UNICAMP, Ginásio Multidisciplinar, Rua Elis Regina s/n, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz," Barão Geraldo - Richard Stallman will speak about the goals and philosophy of the Free Software Movement, and the status and history of the GNU operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is now used by tens of millions of users world-wide.

Ottawa, Canada - on Parliament Hill, main steps. The talk will be followed by informal discussion at the "Parliament Pub" Family Restaurant across the street, beginning at approximately 18:30. The Government of Canada is the largest software user in Canada. In most cases, it gives developers of the programs intolerable power over how the state uses public assets and how the state manages its own data; in effect, giving these developers (most of whom work for large corporations, most of which are foreign) power over the state's own computers, in all their forms. Free/Libre software licensing is the way out of this bind. It gives the users control over their own computing, whether these users are government departments, companies or individuals. The Government of Canada is also the largest funder of custom software development in Canada. It is the largest employer of software developers, and the organization with the largest number of software developers under contract. Canadian legislators should ensure that the software paid for by the public is available for the public to use in freedom, by releasing it as Free/Libre software. Richard Stallman will explain these issues, as well as why the term "intellectual property" is an incoherent over-generalization that should be completely shunned. Richard Stallman, is stopping in Ottawa for meetings with government and non-governmental officials. He is enroute back to MIT after receiving an honorary degree from Lakehead University, Thunder Bay.

Austin, TX. National Instruments Corp., Room 1S13/1S14/1S15 Bldg-C, 11500 N MO Pac Expy. Richard Stallman wrote the first GNU General Public License in 1989, and version 3 which was completed in 2007. He will discuss the philosophy of the GNU GPL, the changes made in version 3, and the reasons for those changes. Admission is free and the talk will be accessible to all audiences. Registration through RSVP is required.

Enghien-les-Bains, France. 89, rue du Général de Gaulle, hoteldulac@lucienbarriere.com, +33 (0) 1 39 34 11 00.

New York, NY. Moot Court Room (first floor auditorium), Cardozo School of Law, 55 5th Ave, (corner of 12th street and 5th ave), Yeshiva University. 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. This speech will be accessible to all audiences and the public is encouraged to attend.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Main Auditorium, Kerala University Campus, Kariavatton. Richard Stallman will speak about the Free Software Movement, which campaigns for freedom so that computer users can cooperate to control their own computing activities. The Free Software Movement developed the GNU operating system, often erroneously referred to as Linux, specifically to establish these freedoms. This speech will be part of the International Seminar on Democratic and Secular Education.

Paris, France. Epitech, 24, rue Pasteur, 94270 Le Kremlin Bicetre (closest Metro stations: Place d'Italie and Kremlin-Bicetre). Richard Stallman will explain how software patents obstruct software development. Software patents are patents that cover software ideas. They restrict the development of software, so that every design decision brings a risk of getting sued. Patents in other fields restrict factories, but software patents restrict every computer user. Economic research shows that they even retard progress.