Re: [Fsfe-uk] URGENT RFC: Text for UK swpat MP lobbying/slashdotting

[Clive Menzies]

On (17/10/03 13:54), Clive Menzies wrote:
> On (17/10/03 13:25), James Heald wrote:
> > Follow-ups to  address@hidden  please.
> > 
> > You may need to go to join the list at
> >     http://mail.ffii.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ffii-uk_ffii.org.uk
> > -----------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > Comments, feedback, fixes needed URGENTLY for
> > 
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/council.html
> > 
> > The software patents directive is going to be discussed in the Council 
> > of Ministers on November 10th.
> > 
> > The text that comes out is critical, because that's what goes to the 
> > MEPs at second reading -- and the European Parliament rules are 
> > different for second reading: amendments are *far* harder to get passed.
> > 
> > At the moment it looks as though the UK will be pushing for the 
> > Council's to adopt unchanged its November 2002 draft text.  This is even 
> > worse than the McCarthy report -- no definition of technical, abstract 
> > data processing a 'field of technology', no article 6a allowing 
> > interoperability, and 'program claims' which would make the publication 
> > of patented code on a website a direct patent infringement -- even if 
> > the code is for discussion only and never run.
> Although not directly relevant to this request, this should be essential 
> reading for MP's:
> 
> http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/opensource/opensource.html?pg=5&topic=&topic_set=
Ooops! sorry the above is a link to the last page of the article -
here's page 1:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/opensource/opensource.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=


> 
> Regards
> 
> Clive
> 
> 
> > 
> > 
> > We desperately need to kick-start a UK letter-writing campaign to MPs to 
> > try to change the Government's mind before November 10th.
> > 
> > In fact it's even more urgent than that, because  officials from the UK 
> > patent office will be negotiating with their opposite numbers from 
> > patent offices across Europe as soon as this Thursday, 23rd October, to 
> > try to fix the blueprint for the ministers' meeting.
> > 
> > So we desperately need *lots* of letters to start going out to MPs *this 
> > weekend* to tell the government how bad the November 2002 draft is.
> > 
> > 
> > The plan is to try to get the
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/council.html
> > page slashdotted this afternoon, while some slashdotters are still 
> > reading it at work; and also to send out a mailing to people on the 
> > Eurolinux petition list and the FFII supporters list.
> > 
> > 
> > SO:  Please start submitting the page, or bits of this email, with 
> > whatever other links and bits you think would help, to the Slashdot 
> > submissions page any time after 2.30 (UK time).  A good title might be 
> > some variant of "4 weeks to stop e-patents in Europe"
> > 
> > 
> > And please send any improved paragraphs/better texts/stylesheet fixes 
> > for the pages
> > 
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/council.html
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/nov2002.html
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/technical.html
> >     http://www.ffii.org.uk/hewitt.html
> >     
> > to the  address@hidden  list *as soon as possible*.  Time is very 
> > short.
> > 
> > 
> > All best,
> > 
> >    James Heald.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Fsfe-uk mailing list
> > address@hidden
> > http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-uk
> 
> -- 
> http://www.clivemenzies.co.uk
> strategies for business
> 
> 
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http://www.clivemenzies.co.uk
strategies for business