[Fsfe-uk] EU Patent Consultation - Deadline 31 March

[GH]

Att FSFE-UK 

Dear Friend and Supporter,

The EU Commission launched, two months ago, a
consultation procedure for a "final effort" to
introduce EU-wide patents.  There is a strong chance
that this process will legitimise software patents,
and make it easier and cheaper to use them in court. 
We believe this would be very bad for the EU IT sector
and all businesses that depend on it.
In our experience, software patents lead to more
lawsuits, not more
software.

The FFII has been working on analysing the
consultation procedure, and writing good answers to
the Commission's questions.  Last week we also met the
Commission's Erik Nooteboom, who is in charge of the
consultation, and we expressed our concerns. We
believe that the plan
to create a wider patent system is counter-productive
without moves to ban once and for all patents on
ideas, methods, and algorithms, the
basics of software and the IT industry.

Our analysis is online at:
http://consultation.ffii.org/.

If you have time, read the whole analysis.  If you are
in a hurry, we
have prepared some example answers.  You can also take
key points and answer these in your own words.

It is explained in detail on
http://consultation.ffii.org/How_to_Answer.

As president of the FFII, the association that has
been fighting for
six long years to protect your right to do business,
by keeping
patents out of the software industry, I ask you to
make three concrete
actions:

* First, answer the consultation, in your own words,
in email or on paper.
* Second, make a substantial donation to the FFII so
that we can
continue to defend your rights.
* Lastly, forward this email to other businesses which
produce or use
software so they can also answer.

The question of software patents affects us all, and
we must seize
this opportunity to influence the future laws.  It is
not often that
we can make a difference, but this is one of those few
times.

The FFII will be monitoring the consultation process
and holding open
a dialogue with the Commission to represent you.  If
you have
questions, please send them to address@hidden

With best regards
--
Pieter Hintjens
President, FFII e.V. <address@hidden>
http://www.ffii.org


                
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