EC approves software directive
p2pnet.net News:- "This is a very sad day for democracy and casts a very dark shadow over the European Constitution, which will give the Council even more power," says the FFII (Free Information Infrastructure) on news that the European Council has adopted the software patent directive.
What’s the problem? Check out the FF’s Patented European webshop graphic below.
FFII: – "All of the elements and processes indicated in the graphic are are covered by granted (not just requested) European Patents. Such patents would be rendered enforceable by the directive in the versions adopted by the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI). The directive as voted by the whole European Parliament however, makes sure these patents remain what they are today: examples of the EPO’s drift towards unlimited patentability, without any legal value whatsoever."
Or as a p2pnet reader puts it, “The ONLY people that agree with software patents are the US government, large US companies, and anyone that large US corporations have managed to persuade (financially bought or extorted) to agree with it.”
Bill Gates was recently accused of threatening to put 800 Danes out of work if Denmark opposed the European Computer Implemented Inventions Directive.
Now, “An EU Council spokeswoman said on Monday morning that the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive had been adopted but was unable to give more details,” posts silicon.com.
However, the story also points out:
“The directive will now be passed to European Parliament, which can reject or amend the proposal, for a second reading.”
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
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See:-
out of work – Gates blackmailed Danish gv’ment, p2pnet, February 15, 2005
silicon.com – Software patent directive officially approved, p2pnet, March 7, 2005
March 7th, 2005 at 5:44 pm
So essentially, if I want to set up a webshop selling Widgets, I need to have permission from the patent holders for every part of the process?
Uh…WTF?
March 7th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
Maybe someone should point out to the European Council that many of their own EU websites (and there must be dozens of them) will fall foul of this legislation…
March 7th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
but you see.. that’s the beauty of it all.. theyre “Governments”.. which basically means they can do as they please and be excluded from the enforcement which screws everybody else.
March 7th, 2005 at 11:21 pm
The European Council sits in the pocket of big business just like the congress & senate in the USA. I’m hoping the EP is different, but I doubt it.
March 8th, 2005 at 9:34 am
any links, addresses or petitions against this?
All EU p2pnet users should get involved….
March 8th, 2005 at 10:23 am
for the start, one could write to as many EU parliament deputates as possible, explaining them the situtation. then visit ffii.org and nosoftwarpatents.com. and if the damn law occasionally passes the parliament i hope there will start a kind of revolution or anti-patent terrorist groups.
March 8th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
I know, it’s completely unbelievable, but that would be classed as IP.
The problem is you see, that large companies have already patented this stuff, and, unbelievably, they have been granted the patents!!
Once they have scraped all these patents up, they’ll just leave it until people start using it and only then will they start turning the thumbscrews on.
Then, when they start sueing your arse, you’re going to have to prove that there was some prior art.
How any normal person would fare in a long protracted legal dispute with these kinds of people will know that it doesn’t look good. With all the knids of stall tactics these *expensive* lawyers use, your business would probably run out of money, or lose customers to competitors before you would be able to prove that it is they who are trying it on.
What I want to see is massive penalties for large companies who try this on – ssurely they’re the ones doing the most damage to society, whereas all they ever end up seeing is a dent in their already overstuffed wallets!!
March 8th, 2005 at 9:34 pm
“The patent movement has during several decades won the support of large corporations and governments for its set of beliefs. Rolling trains are hard to halt. Yet FFII and others have devoted themselves to this work with considerable success. Here we tell you how you can help us move forward more quickly.”
Questions, Things To Do, How you can Help
http://swpat.ffii.org/group/todo/index.en.html
As well as:
http://swpat.ffii.org/index.en.html
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
There’s also:
http://www.fsfeurope.org/