Everything's bigger in Texas, including EFF presentations. If you're a badgeholder at South by Southwest, make sure to catch the following EFF talks:
Clubbing Patent Trolls: How We Can Fight Back
Friday, March 7, 3:30-4:30 PM, Austin Convention Center, Room 10AB
Innovators face a growing epidemic of litigation from so-called "patent trolls" - companies that do not make or produce products, but sue those who do. Last year the majority of patent lawsuits were brought by such entities, at an estimated overall cost to the US economy of $20B.
Patent trolls use broad and vaguely-worded patents to bring infringement claims against innovators, and demand payment of a "license" to avoid a lawsuit. They are able to exploit the legal system because they know that the cost of defending a lawsuit can range into the millions of dollars - more than the victim is able to pay. This panel presents a leading Member of Congress along with innovators and public policy advocates discussing how we can protect ourselves from the patent lawsuit tsunami. Featuring Engine Executive Director and EFF Senior Staff Attorney Julie Samuels.
In the Future, Everything Will Work
Saturday, March 8, 7-11:30 PM, AdPeople HQ, Capitol Tower 19th Fl, 206 E 9th St
Join us for an evening Cyberpunk Retrofest, 2014's iteration of the much-beloved EFF/EFF-Austin afterparty featuring EFF Fellow Cory Doctorow, Gareth Branwyn, Bruce Sterling, William Barker (Schwa) and Jon Lebkowsky. The event features a cyberpunk scifi genre panel, as well as a talk by and first release of Branwyn’s successful Kickstarter memoir book project, Borg Like Me. We’ll offer four separate areas of visuals overviewing Mondo 2000, Boing Boing, Fringeware, 2600: The Hacker Quarterly, Schwa, and more, as well as the people and cultural awesomeness of a heady and transformative era that spawned much of the cutting edge technology and foment we’re living today. Industrial DJing courtesy Thomas Fang. Free cocktails courtesy Bone Spirits, who will feature their Moody June Gin and Fitch’s Goat Moonshine, and beer from Guns and Oil Brewing Co.
Spies on All Sides: We Can't Opt Out
Monday, March 10: 3:30-4:30 PM, Sheraton Austin Creekside, 701 E 11th St
The government is tracking who you call and when. Snoops are reading your emails. Internet companies like Facebook, Google, and Yahoo are working with companies you’ve never heard of to compile deep, secret profiles of millions of us, sell the data, and make billions. We're being surveilled from all sides. Featuring EFF Activist Nadia Kayyali.
This panel will address practical responses to the creeping techno-surveillance state. How are individuals and communities responding when so many of our private details are being hoovered up, in secret and for secret purposes? What are the best practices for navigating the spy-infested waters of the Internet?
We've reached a point in which opting-out is no longer an option. Instead, we must arm ourselves with new digital habits, policy solutions and grassroots pressure to protect our digital rights.
Don't forget to visit EFF at Trade Show Booth #1146 at the Austin Convention Center! You can learn more about our recent work, donate for some cool swag, or even join as an official member!
Sunday, March 09, 2014: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday, March 10, 2014: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday, March 11, 2014: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 12, 2014: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
