On Wed, 2003-10-01 at 14:36, Margot wrote: > An interesting reply from my MEP Caroline Lucas... > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: Software Patents > Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2003 11:08:19 +0200 > From: Caroline (Dr) Lucas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Dear Margot, > > Thanks you for your email on software patenting. You'll be pleased to > note that it was the Green Group here in the Parliament that was the > only effective opposition to the proposal. > > We, after months of delay, finally voted on the Commission proposal last > Wednesday, 24th September. It had been the intention of the European > Commission and numerous European governments to adopt a system that is > similar to the American one. > > Software patents favour huge companies that can afford a legal > department, therefore harming small and medium-sized enterprises who are > responsible for much of the innovation in the IT field. Patents are > expensive, create much administrative work, and are granted slowly and > for a lengthy time period, while the life cycle of software is short. > > The Green Group in the European Parliament was, and will remain, very > active on this topic, leading resistance to the Directive (see our > website http://www.greens-efa.org and click on "software patents"). > > Ahead of the vote we successfully managed to persuade enough MEPs to > substantially modify the text of the Commission proposal in the > following ways: > > · to exclude software from patentability (but only in one part of the > proposal); > · to prohibit the patenting of intellectual methods (software, teaching > methods, business methods etc); and > · to allow reverse engineering and interoperability. > > However, the draft Directive remains ambiguous and contradictory > (articles 2 & 4 contradict each other, with the preamble contradicting > the legal articles). As currently drafted I believe it will open the > gate for software patents in the European Union, just as the Commission > and UK government originally intended. It is for this reason that, after > voting in favour of the amendments mentioned above, but I voted against > the Directive as a whole. > > Furthermore, and rather ominously, given our success in the Parliament, > the Commission may now withdraw the draft Directive and seek a > legislative route that does not involve democratic scrutiny. We must all > therefore remain alert and continue to campaign on this issue. > > Best wishes, > > Caroline > > >
Thanks Margot. Might it be possible to get Caroline's permission to forward her letter to you to the more 'rabid right'right anti-Europe British tabloids, I'm sure they'd love the last paragraph - elected representatives over-ruled by bureaucrats. Paul M
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