Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 09:08:25 -0500 From: Dan Jacobs Subject: WebTech Tues 12/11 7pm - Robert Dewar: developing open software - IBM Waltham Hi everybody, I apologize for the very late notice about this meeting - I completely forgot that it was today (the second Tuesday) and not on the 18th. Anyway.... I'm pleased to invite you all to a joint meeting of the ACM WebTech Group and the the Greater Boston Chapter of the ACM. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 11th, 7 pm, at the IBM Solution Partnership Center on 404 Wyman Street in Waltham. Details and directions will be available shortly on the group website at http://www.acm.org/chapters/webtech, and also at the GBCACM website at http://www.gbcacm.org/meetings.shtml. The presentation this month is on a very interesting topic, delivered by an extremely interesting speaker! Robert Dewar, from NYU and Ada Core Technologies will be speaking on the subject of developing open software and on different strategies for protection of intellectual property and achieving profitability in the software industry. Mark your calendars - I hope to see you there! -- Dan Jacobs, chairman ---------------------------------------------------- Robert Dewar NYU and Ada Core Technologies "Daring to be Free: How to Program Openly in a World of Closed Windows" ABSTRACT Anyone developing software uses tools of various kinds (compilers, operating systems, libraries, etc.), and understanding intellectual property rights and restrictions is essential for your legal and financial health. In this talk Dr. Dewar will explain the basic legal principles underlying software licenses, copyrights, and patents, with examples from real case histories. He will compare and contrast proprietary, open, free, and public domain software with respect to their approaches to these issues, and will describe the advantages and drawbacks for each from the perspective of the developer. As the CEO and President of a company which successfully uses the Free Software approach for its products, he will also discuss how this approach works in practice (thus answering the Microsoft claim that the approach is unworkable). BIO Dr. Dewar is a Professor of Computer Science in the Courant Institute of New York University, where he has served both as Department Chair, and as Associate Director of the Institute. His research has centered on programming languages, operating systems, and micrprocessor architecture. He is the author (with Matthew Smosna) of a McGraw Hill book on microprocessor architecture. In the programming languages field he lead the team that developed the first validated Ada compiler at NYU, and has been involved in the design and development of Ada for over twenty years. He was one of the principle authors of the Realia COBOL compiler for the PC (now marketed by Computer Associates), and made major contributions to the Alsys Ada compiler. He has also written several real time operating systems for Honeywell Inc. In 1995, with two associates, he formed Ada Core Technologies, a company which distributes and supports Free Software components including GNAT, the only full Ada 95 compiler from any vendor, and a surrounding tool set and environment. ACT with its French affiliate ACT/Europe now has 35 full time employees. Dr. Dewar has also been qualified as an expert in copyright and patent issues, and has testified in a variety of cases in federal courts.