Presented by: "Yoni Rabkin, Panos Alevropoulos, Paulius Gaulubickas"

Yoni Rabkin is a parent, programmer and paralegal who studied computer science in Israel, worked in the medical devices industry, and now writes custom software for a living. He believes that everyone should contribute something positive to society, commensurate with their personal strengths. Yoni will be speaking as a volunteer of the Licensing and Compliance Lab.

Description:

Farmers large and small in the U.S. are being crushed under the thumb of “BigAg” equipment makers whose late model farm machinery combines sensors, always-on Internet connections, software and Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to vacuum up and monetize proprietary farm data, while simultaneously preventing farmers from being able to service and repair their own equipment. Farmers who own late model equipment today are required to patronize “authorized” technicians at the expense of independent repair and are forced to pay astronomical prices for even routine maintenance. What’s needed is a way to free farmers from the grip of these monopolies with free software and usurious OEM-operated software ecosystems. This panel will bring together experts on farming and farm equipment, embedded device security and policy (e.g. right to repair) to discuss ways to liberate farmers with free software.

Slides

Video version