[TAG] Software patents

[Pete Jewell]

On Monday 07 Mar 2005 17:05, John Karns wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Mar 2005, Pete Jewell wrote:
> > It's still not fully passed yet.  The commission have approved it,
> > but it still needs to go back to the European Parliament for a second
> > reading. However, this time it will take a 2/3 majority to /prevent/
> > it being implemented.
>
> I expect that it will breeze through.  If it didn't get killed today,
> it won't be killed.  The attack on FOSS is about to begin in earnest.

No, I'm not yet convinced that this will pass - perhaps I'm being a little 
too optimistic, but there are a few governments with back bone in the EU 
who are still opposed to this (mine not being one of them unfortunately).

It would appear that today's events were as a result of 'process'.  From 
what I've read the Danish minister could have lodged a request that the 
item be removed from the A list, instead of asking for it to be converted 
to the B list.  Had he done the former the Luxembourg Council Presidency 
would have had to agree, but because he chose the latter they could 
decline the request (and it has also been suggested that this was his 
intent, having been forced by a Danish Parliamentary Committee to try and 
have it removed).

Anyone who lives in a European country and cares about the software 
patents issue should now be writing to their MEP explaining why they 
should be voting NO for this when it comes before the EU Parliament 
(which is likely to be sooner rather than later).

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